


All the Money In The World...

by DawnOfTomorrow



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst, Camboy Chris Giacometti, Chris and Victor are Roommates, Drama, Humour, M/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sugar Daddy AU, Thirsty Victor Nikiforov, Victor is 24, Victor is a model, Victor is a student, Yuuri does too, Yuuri is 36, Yuuri is loaded, Yuuri is lonely, age gap, confident Yuuri Katsuki, victor pines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:22:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 26,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25602019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnOfTomorrow/pseuds/DawnOfTomorrow
Summary: Sugar Daddy AU – Victor makes his living being an Instagram model – he’s never even heard of businessman Yuuri Katsuki until the other sends him a lavish gift. He doesn’t mind, he’s had sugar daddies before… except this one is different. For some reason, Yuuri just won’t accept any of the ‘sugar’ Victor keeps offering him, and he offers a LOT.Is the other man not into him or is something else going on?
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 132
Kudos: 437





	1. Chapter 1

Victor sighed at the sound of his phone ringing. Halfway through a pedicure and foot massage, the annoying chime that let him know that Chris was calling was the last thing he wanted to hear. Eyes closed under a nourishing facemask of some sort; he vaguely held his hand out for one of the employees to give him his phone. He pressed the ‘Accept Call’ button blindly and held the phone close to his ear.

“Hey Chris, what’s up? You know I don’t want to be interrupted at the spa.”

His best friend and roommate scoffed.

“That’s nice and all but *I* don’t like being interrupted mid-stream either.”

“Ookay?” He asked, wondering why Chris was telling him.

“You didn’t tell me you had a delivery coming.”

“I didn’t. Why didn’t you just let the concierge sign for it?” He asked, getting a little annoyed. What was the big deal with a delivery? He’d ordered some new lingerie, hardly unusual.

“BECAUSE, cheri, this one came with a whole team of workers. To assemble said delivery. Nobody can cam with that ruckus next door.”

He froze. “I’m sorry it came with a WHAT?”

Chris snickered. “A team of workers that built it. Did you buy something and forget again?”

He sat up from the lounge chair he was in, vaguely registering the squeak of the poor girl that had been working on his feet.

“Chris… WHAT was delivered? I didn’t order anything!”

His friend laughed.

“I’m standing in front of a king-sized four poster that says otherwise. It’s the one from your wishlist. You didn’t buy it?”

Victor wheezed. He knew the one – the last item on his Amazon wishlist, a gorgeous, gigantic bed that cost over ten thousand dollars. He’d put it up there for laughs, mostly. While people bought him things off his list all the time, it was NEVER something that expensive.

“No!” He eventually forced out, only for Chris to snicker.

“Well someone’s got a new sugar daddy then! Anyway, I cancelled my session and kept an eye. They took apart your old bed and stuff and took it away. Seems your new ‘friend’ really paid for the whole package.”

“You’re kidding right?”

Chris just laughed.

* * *

Victor was staring in disbelief at the huge bed that was now taking up easily a third of his decently-sized bedroom.

It was… well, frankly, it was gorgeous, but the fact that it was THERE was almost too much to process. Chris had been gone when he’d come back after his spa treatment, so he’d been left alone with what was now one of the most expensive things he owned.

Probably actually THE most expensive thing, even his car wasn’t worth ten grand.

The bed was fully assembled, had a mattress on and sheets folded on top of it – everything he could need. He reached out to touch the solid metal frame, just in case it was a hallucination – nope. It was real.

In his bedroom.

Tentatively, he sat on the mattress, only to immediately let himself sink backwards – it was _perfect_. He loved soft mattresses, and the one on the bed felt like it had been made for him.

He pulled out his phone and frantically checked everything he could think of – Amazon, Instagram, even Twitter. His DMs were filled with all sorts of thirsty trash as usual, but nobody that made any reference to sending him a 10k bed.

Amazon didn’t show the sender’s details either – the name section was left blank, and while there was a gift note attached to the delivery note (and he really needed to check his email more) all it said was “I hope you enjoy this.”

No signature. Nothing.

He reasoned that maybe the other person was waiting until later to get in touch – they were probably at work, and may have wanted to wait until the evening to get in touch.

Pursing his lips, he considered what sort of… reward the sender might expect. He didn’t really do meetups, he wasn’t a hooker, but…

He rolled across the bed – twice, it was that big – until he reached the headboard.

For this… he might agree to dinner, at the very least. Provided the sender wasn’t too… old. Or gross. Or female.

* * *

“Still nothing?” Chris asked when he caught Victor angrily tapping at his phone for probably the hundredth time that evening.

“Nothing. Not a word.”

It had been two days – DAYS – with no word from the person that had sent him that bed.

“Maybe they don’t want to get in touch?”

He shot Chris a look.

“Nobody sends something like that and expects nothing in return.”

Chris snickered as he painted his toenails on the couch.

“Probably true. Why don’t YOU get in touch then?”

“How? I don’t have a way to contact them.”

Chris sighed – his friend REALLY didn’t have a reason to sound so annoyed, Victor thought.

“I can’t believe you were studying at one of the best unis in the country before this. Cheri… he obviously follows your Instagram. Make a post in the bed, thank him and say you want him to contact you.”

That… was not the worst idea Chris had ever had.

“I’ll get my tripod out.”

“I’ll be there in ten to help, just have to let this dry.” Chris wriggled his toes at him.

“Gross.”

Chris’s snicker followed him all the way to the bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bed: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c7/a6/6b/c7a66b181065a4ba69f813def116fe0b.jpg

Victor was literally living off the fact that he was beautiful, but even he had to admit that his latest batch of photos was phenomenal. He was wearing jeans – undone, low enough to show he was ONLY wearing jeans without revealing anything else.

His long hair was spread over his shoulders, catching the evening light just so. He was sitting back against the headboard of the bed, his legs spread, hands around one of the sturdy, curved metal bars there, spread just as far. He’d aimed for his best ‘do me’ expression, and he’d succeeded – the picture series looked fantastic.

There was another one he liked – one of him laying on his stomach, hair pooled around him, hand held up in a ‘come hither’ gesture. He selected those two and posted them to his Insta account – no filters needed.

He hesitated on the caption for a bit, before settling on ‘Thanks for my new bed… How should I say thank you?’ with a series of winky emojis and some hashtags.

Photos posted, he set about putting away his equipment again – he wondered how long it would take for him to hear from the sender. If he was the thirsty type – and he’d sent Victor a BED, so it was likely – probably not long.

* * *

It took nearly a full day of filtering through a number of trash messages until one caught his eye. A recent account, three months old, no posts of its own but a poodle as a profile picture. The message started with a strange number – he’d almost deleted it when he’d realised that it was the order number from Amazon. Obviously, only the sender and him had it.

Heart racing, he opened the message to read the rest.

Poodlemania: Hi, I’m glad you enjoyed the bed. Was there something wrong with it?

He grinned broadly. FINALLY.

VictorN: No, nothing. I just wanted to know how I could thank you for it 😉

It took a half hour until a response came.

Poodlemania: Oh, no thanks needed. I just saw it on your wishlist and thought I’d send it to you as a gift.

VictorN: You… don’t want anything? Photos? Video? I’d even go out to dinner with you if you wanted. 😉😊

Victor stared in bewilderment at the messages so far. Who sent something like that for… nothing?

Poodlemania: No really, it’s fine. I saw your account and thought you were beautiful. I just wanted to give you something, that’s all.

Blushing a little, he thought about his next message.

VictorN: Could I at least know your name?

Poodlemania: Yuuri Katsuki.

He grinned as he immediately copied and pasted the name into google – before he could look at the results though, another message came in from Poodlemania – Yuuri.

Poodlemania: I’m sorry, I need to go. If you don’t mind, I’d like to send you something else in the future. I’ll keep an eye on your list. Unless you… mind?

Victor laughed softly.

VictorN: Of course not. Thank you. The bed is FANTASTIC!

No further reply came, just a thumbs-up to his own message.

He switched back to the Google search. There were several Yuuri Katsuki’s, but one stood out – an entry on a company page, listing him as the CFO of an international company based in Japan. There wasn’t a picture with the name, but the role certainly seemed like the sort of job that would let someone drop 10k on a gifted bed.

He googled again, this time Yuuri’s name with the company – Onsen Facilities. That brought fewer results, but thankfully some pictures.

He nearly dropped his phone.

* * *

“Damn! THIS is your sugar daddy?” Chris exclaimed after handing him his phone back half an hour later. He’d woken the other man up as soon as he’d finished staring in disbelief at the screen.

“I think so. It’s his name and he has a high-paid job.”

Chris nodded.

“You lucky son of a bitch.”

Victor made a vague noise of agreement.

Yuuri Katsuki was BEAUTIFUL. He’d never particularly cared for Asian men – clearly, a mistake. The Japanese man had even features, large, expressive brown eyes and a mop of shiny black hair Victor immediately wanted to run his hands through.

He also didn’t look much older than Victor – though he probably was, by a few years.

“Hey, if you don’t want him, can I have him?” Chris asked after a few moments of silence.

He glared at his roommate.

“No!”

Chris rolled his eyes. “Geez, it was just a joke. Besides, he turned down your offers, right?”

Victor sighed. “Yeah. Even the dinner.”

“Poor Victor. So what are you going to do? You’re into him, right?”

He looked again at the photos he’d saved to his gallery.

“I mean, I definitely could be. He just doesn’t seem interested?”

Chris flicked him in the arm.

“So you say but you have a bed that says otherwise.”

The other man had a point.

“So what do I do?”

His best friend gave him an impatient look.

“Seduce him? Maybe update that wishlist of yours?”

A slow grin spread across Victor’s face.


	3. Chapter 3

He smiled in satisfaction at his computer screen.

He’d added three things to his wishlist, all of them pretty expensive. Most things on there were around the 50 bucks mark or less, but the newest additions were…not.

He’d added a beautiful, extravagant robe made of see-through material with plenty of fake fur trimmings. It looked dramatic, beautiful and he honestly really hoped Yuuri would get it for him.

The second thing was a tad more outrageous than the $500 robe – a chandelier. He’d never had one before, but he’d immediately wanted it when he’d spotted the thing. At just below 5k, the smaller of the two models they offered went onto the list.

The third one he hesitated to put on there – a perfume. His favourite kind, not that he often indulged in getting it. Given that his list was public, he was a little worried about creepy comments or the like… but in the end, he dismissed his worries. Straight to Heaven the perfume was called – the fact that the name was so suggestive would work in his favour with Yuuri, he hoped. At $300 dollars, it was certainly not cheap.

The list done, all he could do was… wait.

Well, wait and plan his next few photoshoots. For what it was worth, it wasn’t just snapping a few quick shots – a fair amount of planning and organising went into each shoot… especially as he started to run out of appealing ideas.

Not that there wasn’t plenty he could do, it was just that his passion for surprising his audience was fading. Had been for a while.

Laying back on his bed, he stared at the ceiling. The idea of taking photos for Yuuri had had more appeal than he’d expected – even if he wasn’t 100% sure that it was the beautiful Asian man he’d seen photos of.

Something about the man’s polite messages had struck a chord with him. He really hoped Yuuri would… would talk to him again.

* * *

Almost three days passed with nothing – no word, no gifts, nothing. Just when he’d slowly started to think that maybe Yuuri had changed his mind, did a ring of his doorbell interrupt his moping.

Like every time since he’d updated his list, he nearly fell over his feet to open. Chris was camming in his room – he thankfully couldn’t see just how pathetic Victor was.

Outside the door stood a rather familiar delivery man – Victor didn’t know his name, but he saw the man frequently.

“Mr. Nikiforov, nice to see you. I have two packages for you today.”

“Thanks!” He eagerly accepted the two medium-sized gifts and signed for them before practically slamming the door shut and sprinting back to his room.

He tore into the lighter package first – with a gasp, he realised that it was indeed the robe he had been hoping for… although not in the colour he’d selected. He’d picked black, figuring that it was the most elegant choice… the robe in his fingers was instead a pale pink, the fur trimming a shade of light fuchsia.

He nearly missed the note that slid out of the packed with the beautiful robe.

‘I thought this colour would look beautiful on you.’ It read – once again, no signature.

Eagerly stripping off his clothes, he put on the robe, gasping at how wonderful it felt against his skin, how incredibly decadent the fake fur felt sliding down his body.

He eagerly yanked out his camera equipment and set up for a quick shoot on the bed, pillows arranged artfully as a backdrop. He sat down with his back facing the camera and let the robe slide down his shoulders just a little, peeking back at the camera and pressing the little remote to snap a photo. He took a few more, doing his best to make it obvious – yet not _visible_ – that he wasn’t wearing anything other than the robe.

His heart was pounding as he uploaded the picture, captioned ‘Does the colour suit me?’ with his usual slew of hashtags attached. Of course, immediately likes and comments started flowing in… but nothing from Poodlemania.

Sighing, he remembered that there was a second package and went to get it. Inside, he expected to find a bottle of the perfume he’d put on the list.

While technically right, he still hadn’t been prepared for what looked up at him – a bigger bottle than the one he’d selected, and one with a custom engraving at that. The usual dark blue bottle’s white label was accompanied by a silver plaque with his name engraved in beautiful cursive. The black velvet box it came in looked to be the same as the normal perfume boxes did…

His fingers slid over the engraved plaque, committing the letters to memory.

Surely… surely this time Yuuri would want something in exchange?

* * *

The message from Poodlemania came that evening. Once again, Yuuri started a new thread with the order number for the robe – not that he needed to do so. Victor nearly dropped his phone in excitement when he spotted the DM.

Poodlemania: It looks incredible on you. Do you like it?

VictorN: YES!! Thank you so much! And the perfume!! How did you even get it customised?

Yuuri seemed to be a slow typer – his answers always took a few minutes. It was maddening.

Poodlemania: Ah, I know the company that distributes them in America. I called and asked for a favour. Is it the right scent?

VictorN: Yes! It’s wonderful. I don’t often buy it because it’s so expensive. I’m wearing it now 😉

Poodlemania: I’m glad.

VictorN: Would you like something in return? The least I could do is take some more… unique photos for you?

After a moment’s thought, he added a series of winky faces. He DID mean nudes after all – he’d never sent any before, but… but! Something about Yuuri made him want to cross that line, made him want… something.

Poodlemania: Oh that’s not necessary. You do such great work already, I’d hate to take up more of your time.

VictorN: Do you want to meet up then?

Only after he sent the message did he realise that that sounded a fair bit… more direct than he’d meant.

Poodlemania: Ah, I’m afraid I’m not in the US right now. I travel a lot.

VictorN: You work at Onsen Facilities, right?

Poodlemania: You googled my name?

VictorN: Should I not have?

Poodlemania: No, it’s fine. I just didn’t expect you to be interested in me.

He chuckled softly.

VictorN: I’m VERY interested in you 😉😉

No reply came for so long that he started to think Yuuri had left him on read. When finally a new message appeared, he was quite relieved.

Poodlemania: I’m not all that interesting.

He laughed softly. A frankly unfairly beautiful man who wanted to spend money on him for no reason? He ran a hand through his long hair and shook his head.

VictorN: I’d like to show you how grateful I am.

Poodlemania:…

Poodlemania: Then, may I make a request?

Victor’s breath hitched in his chest and he clutched his phone more tightly.

Finally! What would the other man ask for? Shots of him naked? A video? A phone call? He was definitely down for any of it.

Poodlemania: Your pictures are always very beautiful of course, but I would love it if you posted one of yourself smiling some time.

“Fuck.” Victor whispered as his phone slid from his fingers at the same time as his heart did an odd little flip in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The robe: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ChVJqxdnL._AC_UL320_SR252,320_.jpg   
> The chandelier: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31j5%2BLDRYHL._AC_.jpg   
> Perfume: https://fragrances.bg/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Straight-to-Heaven-by-Kilian-for-men-266x300.jpg


	4. Chapter 4

“Wow. Your sugar daddy is SMOOTH. How about you mention me to him next time? I could do with some of that. My patrons are allll about bare skin.” Chris chuckled as he studied the messages on Victor’s phone.

They were sat next to each other in lawn chairs at a country club one of said patrons of Chris had invited them to. It wasn’t his scene at all, but he wasn’t one to turn down a free trip to an expensive place with alcohol and food all included.

“He’s NOT my sugar daddy, and you’re a camboy, Chris.” Victor hissed back.

“True, true. Pretty sure you’d have to give him sugar first. I can’t believe how desperate you sounded there.”

Snatching his phone back, Victor nearly stuck his tongue out at Chris.

“It wasn’t MEANT that way. He’s just so… polite? And… I don’t even know. How can someone so beautiful be so… does he not think I’m attractive?”

Chris gave him an annoyed look.

“You know you’re attractive. He’s even complimented you. Obviously, that’s not it.”

“Then…”

His roommate finished his drink and set the glass down noisily.

“Maybe he’s just not interested. He could be married. Or not into men. Just because he likes your pictures doesn’t mean he’s _sexually_ interested. He could be asexual… could be any number of things.”

Victor sighed.

“Look cheri, you’re going to give yourself wrinkles at this rate. You’ve got a hot older guy buying you things for nothing. WHY are you so bothered?”

Victor sipped his own drink.

“I’m not sure.”

“It’s everyone’s dream. No strings gifts.”

He scowled at his friend, tapping his phone to check the time out of habit.

“Maybe… maybe I want the strings?”

Chris's only response was a pitying look.

* * *

Victor was DETERMINED to get the perfect photo for Yuuri. Really.

He’d tried every sort of smile he could think of. EVERY. DAMN. ONE. Nothing felt right.

He’d tried sultry, he’d tried goofy, he’d tried polite.

Nothing was right.

He’d get to the post image screen and just… change his mind. He spent almost an entire day, actually, practicing his smiles in mirrors, trying angles, lighting conditions, whatnot.

Nothing helped. Nothing was right.

“Why can’t I SMILE?” He whined at Chris that evening.

“You smile just fine.” His friend replied.

“None of these pictures are good enough though!”

He waved his phone at Chris – of course, the other man was busy eating, he wasn’t even looking.

“They’re all fine. You’re just a perfectionist. I’m sure your Yuuri would be happy with any of them.”

Ignoring the way his heart clenched for a second, he shook his head.

“He’s not my Yuuri. And either way… why can’t I figure this out?”

Surprisingly enough, Chris set his fork down and studied him for a moment.

“I didn’t think I’d have to resort to this, but I think I can help.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Give me your phone. Go sit on the couch, use that throw. Cover your legs a little.”

He obeyed, a little confused – what was Chris getting at?

“Okay perfect. Now then, before we take the picture, there’s something I wanted to show you.”

He accepted Chris phone with a confused expression, but nevertheless started reading.

It was an article from some kind of pharma corporation – hardly anything interesting… To either of them?

He was just about to question Chris when a name caught his attention. He read more closely.

‘CFO Yuuri Katsuki was instrumental in facilitating one of the biggest charity engagements ever undertaken in the pharma industry.’ A paragraph began, before outlining the details of what was apparently a huge effort to bring life-saving medications to a particularly poor region in Africa.

It wasn’t that that really caught his attention though – it was the photo below.

It showed Yuuri, shaking hands with a rather large European man, both of them looking quite pleased. The caption read ‘The moment after the consensus was reached.’ He zoomed in on the picture a little.

Yuuri was wearing a frankly offensively hideous suit, a small smile playing around his lips as he looked up at the other man. He was wearing blue glasses – they suited him well. His hair was slicked out of his face, giving his profile an added air of maturity, and-

Victor’s study was interrupted by the sound of a shutter – the shutter of his phone camera to be precise.

“What the hell?” He groused, blinking up at Chris.

The other man was grinning smugly.

“Just like I thought. Here you go.”

Chris traded phones with him, and Victor looked at his gallery immediately. He usually took several photographs, to make sure that he could pick the perfect shot later. Chris had only taken one – of him sitting on the couch, curled around his phone, smiling at it. The soft light of the screen illuminated his face in a way that had even himself in awe.

He was… smiling.

He gasped.

He hadn’t even _noticed_.

“You’re welcome.” Chris sassed.

“You… think that this is good enough?” He asked, his fingers ghosting over the picture. It was much more… tame than most of his other shots. Boring, even, to much of his audience.

“I think that this is EXACTLY what Yuuri meant.”

Victor agreed silently.

Before he could change his mind, he posted the picture. For the first time in his career, he decided to go against adding a caption or hashtags. Yuuri followed him – he’d hopefully see it anyway.

“How did you find the article?”

Chris chuckled.

“Oh I set up a Google alert on your beau the day after you got that first message. Figured it might come in handy.”

“Wait, you can do that?!”

Victor didn’t even wait for an answer, just eagerly tapped at his phone, looking for the right option.


	5. Chapter 5

He didn’t have to wait long for a response. A few hours at most – the middle of the night, not that he was staying up and waiting. He just… couldn’t sleep.

That was it.

Poodlemania: Beautiful. What were you looking at?

Poodlemania: It’s Yuuri by the way.

He laughed softly – as if he didn’t know.

VictorN: I know your account by now, you don’t have to keep reminding me 😊 😊 I was reading something!

Poodlemania: Something good, I imagine? I’ve never seen you smile like that before.

Poodlemania: Sorry if that sounded weird.

VictorN: Not at all!! It was just an article my roommate showed me.

A moment later, he cursed – what if Yuuri got… the wrong idea about Chris? People had before…

Poodlemania: Well I’m glad it made you smile like that. Will you be updating your wishlist again?

He hesitated for a few moments – he’d hoped Yuuri would bring it up, though not for the obvious reason.

VictorN: What if I want something not on Amazon?

Poodlemania: You can always just send me a link or something? Is it something unique?

He laughed softly, rolling around on the bed.

VictorN: I’d like your phone number.

VictorN: I get so many messages on here, but not many people text me, so…

It took Yuuri a bit longer than usual to respond – he worried he’d overstepped again, that Yuuri was mad…

Poodlemania: +81xxxxxxxx

Poodlemania: You can reach me there. It’s my private phone.

Saving the number before squealing like a schoolgirl, Victor considered his next reply.

Or rather, considered his first text.

Victor: Hi Yuuri!!! This is my number! In case you want to save it.

Yuuri: Thanks! If you do end up wanting something that’s not on Amazon or something you don’t want to put on a public list, you can always let me know here. I’m happy to get you whatever you’d like.

Victor: Thank you <3<3<3 I really appreciate that. And you’ll tell me if you want me to take any particular photos as well? Or videos, or whatever you want. I really want to reciprocate for the gifts.

Yuuri: Just seeing your usual pictures is reward enough. I’m sure you work hard at them. I’m sorry, I have a meeting. I need to go. Have a good day.

He huffed into his pillow. Reward enough? It wasn’t. He wanted Yuuri… to want things.

No, he corrected himself, he wanted Yuuri to want _him_.

* * *

He spent half the night thinking about what he could do that would… well, that would surprise Yuuri. Something the older man would like. He had and subsequently dismissed lots of ideas.

Wear a kimono?

No, Yuuri might find that offensive.

Suit and glasses?

No, he didn’t want Yuuri to think he was mocking him or making fun.

Write ‘fuck me’ on his chest in chocolate sauce?

It was around that idea that he had to admit he needed some actual rest.

Not that waking up semi-well rested helped any.

Nothing helped. Not even Chris, who just made an annoyed noise and slammed the door in his face when Victor went to him for advice. Some best friend.

He’d already done some pretty extravagant stuff – shoots in forests, in cosplay, all sorts of things through his multi-year career as a model.

He also didn’t know an awful lot about what Yuuri liked – obviously, he cared about charity, but that alone didn’t help much.

The perfect idea came to him in the shower, just as he was rinsing off the last of the conditioner from his long hair.

He snatched a towel and immediately stumbled to find Chris to let him know the good news.

“Chris! I figured it out!” He practically yelled as he stumbled into the Swiss man’s room.

“Victor what the fuck, I’m setting up for a stream.”

“Sorry, sorry. I KNOW what I’m going to do for Yuuri!”

Chris gave him a long look.

“Am I going to take photos of you in the shower next? Because I have to be on in like five and although I love you dearly, I REALLY don’t want to see that…”

He waved him off.

“No! Nothing like that!” He took a deep breath. “I… am going to go to a dog shelter!”

With that, he whipped around and back to his own room.

“Put some pants on first!” Chris yelled after him.

He ignored the other man.

* * *

Finding a small, privately-owned shelter that asked for donations on its website was… easy. Almost too easy, actually. There was one not even an hour’s drive from their place, and he hopped into the car almost criminally early the next day, to get there when they opened.

The plump, older woman that ran the place was all too happy to hear his proposal on helping them out – a series of photos of him with each of the dogs, published on his Instagram, attached to a fundraiser for the organisation.

They negotiated down to 20 different dogs when the owner told him that it would take far too long for him to pose with all 150 of their charges – he’d been willing to do it. So, they settled on 20, with the singular condition being that the dogs chosen had to be ones that had been there a while, or had struggled to find a home.

The rescue kept a list of profiles that the owner and two employees sifted through while Victor got a tour of the facilities. He quickly found the perfect spot for his camera setup – an unused corner of the dog walking area that had a big, flowering bush of some sort in it. The perfect backdrop for the photos and his lighting and camera setup.

By the time he got back to the office to see the dogs, he was beaming with excitement for more than just a photo opportunity for Yuuri. He’d never done anything with his fame – and yes, he was over-a-million-followers famous – and he was wondering why not all of a sudden.


	6. Chapter 6

The dogs he’d been presented with had all been lovely. Some of them were older, others had some disabilities, and a few were just the ‘wrong’ colour – or so he’d been told. Meeting them was wonderful. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed as much as he had when a dog – a poodle of all things – practically barrelled him over.

Makkachin her name was, and apparently, she was just too big to easily find a home. Victor immediately fell in love with her.

He took photos with all the dogs, of course, but he took a few more with Makka, instantly bemoaning the fact that his flat didn’t allow any pets at all.

The day passed far too quickly and he found himself back home, exhausted but satisfied.

He’d already posted all the dog photos, individually and with the info for both the shelter and his fundraiser in it – all proceeds went directly to the shelter.

He felt… good about it. With a bit of luck, he’d really make a difference to some of the dogs there.

He was just about ready to go to sleep when his phone pinged with an unfamiliar tone – one that nearly made him fall over his feet diving towards it. It was the custom tone he’d set for Yuuri’s contact.

He nearly dropped the phone in his haste to see the message.

Yuuri: I saw your posts today. That was a wonderful thing you did there.

Victor blushed with pride, his heart beating a little faster.

Victor: Thank you!!

Yuuri: I hope you don’t mind me texting you out of the blue?

Victor: !! No! Of course not! Text me whenever you’d like.

Yuuri: I just thought I’d let you know that I decided to donate to your fundraiser as well.

Hesitant to switch away from the chat, he still checked the crowdfunding page he’d used for his effort – only to nearly pass out from shock. Yuuri had donated indeed - $30.000. THIRTY THOUSAND US DOLLARS.

Victor felt faint as he went back to the chat.

Victor: Oh my god. Thank you!!! You didn’t have to do that.

Yuuri: Mh, I know. I just love supporting good causes especially if it’s for animals. Did you like taking the photos with the dogs?

Victor: YES!! They were all SO nice!!!!

Yuuri texted him a rare smiling emoji that made Victor grin like a loon.

Yuuri: Did you have a favourite?

Instead of a typed reply, Victor quickly thumbed through his gallery to look for a photo he had taken after the ‘official’ photo op with the poodle Makkachin. He texted it to Yuuri.

Victor: This is Makkachin. She was SO great! I was really sad my apartment doesn’t allow dogs.

Yuuri: Wow. She’s beautiful! I love poodles. They are the best puppers.

Victor: Poodlemania! I know. Do you have a dog?

Yuuri: Haha, yes. I forgot. I don’t use Instagram much. I don’t now, but I used to have a toy poodle when I was younger.

Victor: Cute!!

Yuuri: Not as cute as you two in the photo!

Victor wheezed, his blush deepening. He wasn’t used to blushing at all – but then, he wasn’t used to Yuuri Katsuki either.

Yuuri: Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Sorry if I did.

Victor: No, not at all. You’re very smooth.

Yuuri: I’m…….. really not. Still, I’m glad I could help out your good cause.

Victor: The people there are lovely, I’m sure they will put the money to good use. So thank you. Again. Is there any way I can make it up to you? You’ve been so generous…

He asked again, hoping that maybe, just MAYBE this time, Yuuri would finally take him up on it.

Yuuri: Don’t worry about it. I enjoy seeing your pictures enough. Especially the one with Makkachin and the one on the couch.

He groaned in frustration.

* * *

“I don’t understand why you’re so insistent on this. You never cared much about other gifts.” Chris quipped a few days later.

He huffed.

“Well, other people didn’t just casually drop tens of thousands on me, okay?”

“Is that all? Amounts?”

No, it wasn’t, and they both knew it.

“He calls dogs puppers, Chris.”

“Wow. Just… wow.”

“I know! He’s just so… Chris, I REALLY want to get to know him better.”

“Not what I meant, cheri. Have you considered just… asking?”

“I KEEP asking.”

“No, I meant asking him to meet you. Tell him the next time he’s nearby that you want to go to dinner somewhere fancy. With him.”

“I don’t want to force him. I just… don’t get why he keeps turning me down.”

Chris took a deep breath.

“This is ridiculous. You need to do SOMETHING about this. The moping is insufferable.”

He mumbled an apology to Chris – his friend really WAS very patient with him, most of the time.

Just then, his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Yes, hi, Mr. Nikiforov! I’m from Pals for Paws.”

“Oh, hi! Did everything go okay with the bank transfer?”

“Yes, all good. I’m still in awe you managed to raise over thirty-five thousand!”

He smiled.

“I’m glad. Is that why you’re calling?”

“Sort of… it’s about one of the dogs you took a photo with.”

“Oh?”

“Mh. Makkachin.”

Fear gripped him.

“Is… is something wrong with her? Is she okay?”

“Oh! Yes, yes, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. She was actually adopted this morning! I thought you might want to know that she’s found a great home.”

He fought down the twinge of disappointment that Makkachin was going with someone else – he really shouldn’t have gotten attached.

“That’s great. Thank you for letting me know.”

“Don’t worry. We’ve gotten a lot of adoption requests thanks to you. So… thank you. Again.”

“Of course!”

He ended the call, smiling weakly.


	7. Chapter 7

“Makkachin is the poodle you liked?” Christ startled him out of his thoughts.

“Ah yeah. She was adopted today.”

“That’s great, right?”

“Yeah… I’m just a little sad I couldn’t see her again.”

“I’m sorry. I know you liked her.”

“Oh, it’s fine. Ah, I think I’m going to head to bed early.”

He wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt the need to be alone, but he did.

Victor could still feel Chris eyes on his back as he hurried to his room, closing the door behind himself and falling onto his bed.

Tears were stinging in his eyes – he’d really felt a connection to Makka.

Hell, he’d given her that nickname, just in the privacy of his mind.

It… wasn’t fair.

Even if she probably had a much better home with someone else who had more space at their place. A garden even.

He hugged his pillow closer.

It was better that way.

* * *

He nearly missed the vibration of his phone half an hour later, curled up in bed as he was.

When he did pick it up, he did a double-take – a text from Yuuri.

He hadn’t expected it.

Ignoring how awful he felt, he opened the message.

Yuuri: There’s something I’d like to show you if you have a moment?

He laughed quietly. A not-so-kind part of his mind thought how funny how it would be if Yuuri chose THAT MOMENT to send him a dick pic. Not that he had any reason to assume so.

Victor: Sure

A file came through – he automatically pressed download. Then another arrived, and finally a third. He downloaded them all, all the while fighting the slight bitterness he still felt. Whatever Yuuri was sending him, it definitely wasn’t something as rude as a dick pic… and he wouldn’t take his bad mood out on a man as wonderful as Yuuri even if it was.

Frankly, any other day he’d probably have welcomed something like that.

He tapped the notification when the first image finished downloading.

Moments later, a rather ugly sob tore its way out of his throat.

* * *

Chris ran into his room maybe thirty seconds later, looking quite alarmed.

Victor couldn’t blame him.

He was ugly crying, sobbing quite loudly.

“V-Victor? What’s going on? Are you… really that upset that Makkachin was adopted?”

He weakly shook his head.

“It’s not… look at this!”

He feebly held out the phone to Chris, who accepted it without looking.

“I-It’s Yuuri! He… he sent me that.” Victor added a few moments later.

“What?! What, did he send something inappropriate?” Chris immediately snarled.

He shook his head again, blindly grabbing for the tissues on his bedside table.

Chris finally looked down at the phone as Victor noisily blew his nose.

When he looked back to Chris, the other man was staring at the phone in disbelief.

“Is this…?”

“Y-Yeah. It’s Yuuri. HE is the one who adopted Makkachin.” He managed to force out between sobs.

Indeed, on the picture Chris was looking at, a shyly smiling Yuuri was sitting next to Makka who was happily panting in what looked like a huge garden, the selfie a little wonky, clearly unpractised.

“Oh my god! He really adopted her?”

“Y-Yeah. There are more photos.”

Chris swiped back and forth.

“He really adopted her. Damn, have you seen his house?”

He shook his head again.

“Haven’t looked at the other pictures. Chris… he adopted her!”

His friend gave him back the phone.

“You know, I was really worried about you, you ass. Could have said you were happy crying.”

He laughed weakly.

“Sorry. I was just so… overwhelmed.”

“I can see that. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Was he though?

He glanced down at the photo again, swiping to look at the other two. His tears were mostly dried now – just in time for him to wheeze in shock yet again.

“Oh my god Chris! How is he so beautiful?”

The second of the pictures sent wasn’t a selfie but looked like a ‘proper’ photo – it had Yuuri sitting in an armchair in a suit, smiling at the camera, Makka sitting by his side like a royal hunting dog might have done in a portrait.

“Wow. Okay, I’m leaving now that I know you’re okay. I’m not listening to you gushing about him EVEN MORE.”

Indeed, Chris left.

Victor didn’t blame him.

The third photo was of just Makka – she was laying in a pretty huge dog bed, on her back, all four feet in the air. There were toys all around her, and she was clearly having a fantastic time.

With a start, he realised he never responded to Yuuri.

* * *

Victor: Sorry I didn’t respond! I was surprised! You… adopted her?

Yuuri’s response was almost immediate.

Yuuri: Yes, I did. Sorry if it was a shock.

Victor: It’s fine. I didn’t know you were in the US.

Yuuri: For work. I will be for… a while. Don’t worry, Makkachin will come with me if I have to go somewhere in the future.

Victor: You picked her on purpose?

Yuuri: I didn’t, actually. I visited the shelter because I decided I wanted to adopt a dog… Makkachin charmed me before I could even meet any of the other dogs.

Victor: Yes!!! She did that to me too. I can’t believe you adopted her. I got a call, earlier, that she’d been adopted… and to be honest, I was crying a little because that meant I couldn’t see her again. I had no idea YOU had her!!!! I’m so glad.

For a moment, he thought he might have overstepped a line there, revealed too much… but then the phone buzzed in his hands. A call.

From Yuuri.

Fingers shaky, he pressed ‘Accept call’.

“Hello?” A soft, dark voice greeted a moment later. So THAT was what he sounded like. Victor gulped.

“H-Hello.” He greeted back, annoyed that he stuttered a little.

“I’m so sorry that I made you cry. I really didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you might like to know that I adopted her. I had no idea the shelter had called you…” The other man trailed off.

“No, no! It’s fine. I’m glad. REALLY glad. I was just being a bit silly. I mean I only met her once, and…” He shrugged, hoping Yuuri understood.

“If you want, I can send you more photos of her on occasion? She’s still exploring the house right now.”

“T-That would be great. Thank you. You… really don’t have to.”

“No, I don’t mind. Obviously, you care about her a lot.”

“I really liked the photos.” He blurted out, not meaning Makka at all.

Yuuri chuckled, a sound that made his spine tingle somehow.

“I’m glad. My assistant helped me take them… I’m really not very good at it.”

“I think they’re great. All three.” He insisted, offended that Yuuri criticised them.

“Well, they certainly can’t compete with yours.” He wasn’t sure if he was imagining the slightly flirty tone in Yuuri’s voice – he hoped not.

“I disagree. Most of mine don’t have Makkachin _or_ you in them.”

He mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that Yuuri wouldn’t rebuff him like he did by text.

He did not. Instead, he laughed softly, the sound easing a tension Victor hadn’t realised he’d even felt.

Letting himself drop backwards onto the bed, he didn’t even try to fight his grin as they continued their conversation.


	8. Chapter 8

“So he’s in the US. And he adopted the dog you love. And he called you because you were upset.” Chris summarised the next day in the gym.

“YES! What am I supposed to do?”

“Ask him out?”

“I have! I did! I asked him yesterday, AGAIN, how I can thank him for everything he’s doing. He laughed it off and told me that he’s happy if I’m happy.”

Chris groaned – he didn’t know if it was because he was lifting a heavy weight or because he was annoyed.

Victor was using the rowing machine a few steps away.

“You know you’re a lost cause, right? Like, actually hopeless.” His friend remarked a moment later.

“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do. Just put a sign around my neck saying ‘Do me?’ I’ve thought about it.”

A decidedly disturbed-looking gym patron wandered past.

“Well, that’d certainly make things clearer. Look, I think I’m done for today. My back hurts. You finish your set, I’ll meet you in the changing room in a bit.”

“Uh.. sure.”

A little confused, he watched his friend put the weight back properly and wander off.

A bit odd – Chris normally worked out longer than he did.

* * *

When he got back to the locker room, he could immediately tell that something was wrong.

It was written all over Chris’ face – Chris… who was tapping away at his phone. Sure, his roommate knew his password but… but!

He wouldn’t… would he?

Practically sprinting over, he ripped it out of his hands, only to recoil in horror.

There, open on the page, was the chat between him and Yuuri.

Two messages longer than it had been before.

“YOU!” He snarled at his friend, his eyes frantically scanning what the message said.

Victor: Hi Yuuri. Sorry if this is a little direct and sudden, but I would really like to meet up with you. I really like talking to you and I’d like to get to know you better. I know you kept turning me down when I suggested doing something for or with you, but I just wanted to make it absolutely clear that I would really like to go out with you. If you’re interested. And yes, I mean that as a date.

He whimpered quietly – WHY had Chris done this?? Surely, Yuuri would just turn him down again? And… and there was no way he could live that down. Not when his rather treacherous heart had already… gotten attached.

He forced himself to look at the second message.

Victor: And for the record, the thing I was looking at in the photo on the couch? An article about a charity deal you closed with that pharmaceuticals company.

“CHRIS!” He howled, genuinely upset – now Yuuri HAD to think he was some kind of creepy stalker for sure!

“Relax, cheri, he’ll say yes.”

Stuffing his phone into his bag, he angrily shrugged into his clothes and stalked out, not saying another word to Chris. He got into his car and left – Chris could make his own way home. His friend had had no right to do what he did…

…Even if part of him was glad that Yuuri couldn’t just shrug him off so easily anymore now.

* * *

In the end, it took until the end of the day that he got a reply. He’d spent the entire day panicking, hovering around his phone, his heart in his throat. It sunk all the way to his stomach when it finally sounded Yuuri’s tone.

Yuuri: Hi Victor. I’m really not as interesting as you seem to think. I’m mostly about work, I’m busy a lot and I don’t usually go out at all. I’m sure someone as young and beautiful as you could easily find someone more suitable than me.

Only halfway through the message, Victor tried to swallow the familiar sensation of rejection.

Yuuri: However… if… you’re really that dead-set on meeting me, I’ll happily take you out to dinner sometime? If only so you can confirm that I’m really as boring as I’ve been telling you.

He blinked in confusion at the text.

Was that… a rejection or not? He legitimately couldn’t tell.

Hesitantly, he typed back.

Victor: Dinner sounds great. I’d love to go out… maybe tomorrow evening?

The next reply came relatively quickly.

Yuuri: Very well. I can send a car by to have you picked up. Do you like French?

Victor: Sure.

Yuuri: Very well. I’ll make sure the car is ready at, say, seven?

Victor: Okay. I look forward to it! <3

No reply came, but… but!

He had a date.

With Yuuri.

FINALLY.

‘You’re forgiven’ he quickly texted Chris, before dialling his spa and asking for an appointment the next morning. He’d look his best for their first – if he had his way, NOT last – date.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time seven rolled around, Victor felt like a teenager again. He had spent the entire day preparing, had treated himself to just about everything at the spa, had gone to the hairdressers for a wash, cut and blow-dry, and back home, had tried on every single piece of clothing he owned.

He’d settled on his nicest suit, shirt unbuttoned just a little, his hair undone and spilling over his shoulders and back. He’d even applied some make-up – not much, just enough to really bring out his cheekbones and lips.

He was ready half an hour in advance, and he was nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement. Five minutes to seven, the doorbell rang. Pocketing his phone and keys, he went to answer – out front stood what he assumed to be his driver, a young man dressed in a neat black suit, white gloves and all.

“Mr. Nikiforov. If you’re ready to go?”

“Yes, thank you.”

He followed the man down, surprisingly pleased by having the door opened for him. Sliding into the backseat of the black town car, he gasped at what he found – a bucket of champagne and a glass.

“Mr. Katsuki had this prepared for you. Would you like me to pour for you?” The driver asked.

“Uh, yes please.” He replied, a slight blush on his cheeks. The driver poured with surprising efficiency, and soon they were driving, quiet classical music playing through the car as he sipped his champagne.

“Excuse me?” He eventually asked the driver.

“Yes?”

“Do you… know Yu- Mr. Katsuki?” He asked, feeling a little foolish as he did so.

The driver – an Asian man similar to his age – smiled.

“Yes. I’ve known him for years.”

Victor sipped some more champagne.

“Is he… did he say something to you? About… me?”

“Only that I was to pick you up and bring you to the restaurant… and that I was to make you as comfortable as possible.”

He nodded slowly.

“He doesn’t normally date, you know.” The driver eventually said, looking at him in the rear-view mirror.

“No? I find that hard to believe.”

The driver snickered. “Yes, well, it’s true. Too busy with work. Who knows, maybe a sugar baby is just what he needs.”

A pang of anger ripped through him, before he realised that… well, that that really was what he was. Yuuri bought him things, and he had pushed for a date. It was a textbook sugar daddy relationship… wasn’t it?

He leaned back.

It was better than nothing, at the very least.

Even if… he wanted more. If sugar baby was all he could be to Yuuri, he’d at least make himself a worthy investment.

He stayed silent for the rest of the drive, no longer particularly inclined to talk to the driver – not after his comment. It had stung.

* * *

Getting out of the car at their destination a few minutes past half seven, he looked around – everything about the restaurant he was standing in front of screamed expensive. There was even a burgundy carpet rolled out from the door to the pavement – it continued inside.

Just before he could ask the driver what he was supposed to do, a semi-familiar voice called out to him.

“Victor! Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Yuuri.

Taking a deep breath, he turned around – only to find himself face to face with the man he’d been thinking about non-stop.

Yuuri was shorter than him – just a few inches, but he hadn’t expected it. His black hair was gelled back and he could make out the faintest hint of grey around his temples – it hadn’t been visible in his photos.

His glasses were gone – contacts, probably.

He looked _edible_.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Yuuri offered after a few seconds and he laughed breathlessly.

“Y-Yes. It is. Thank you for taking me out tonight.” He replied, remembering his manners.

“Shall we head inside?” Yuuri held out his arm – to him.

Victor nearly swooned as he wrapped his own arm around Yuuri’s. The other man was clearly _fit_ – he could feel his muscles through the suit.

He had never felt so gay in his life.

* * *

Dinner was… an experience.

The other man had clearly been impressed that he could read the French menu – even more so when he’d told him that he fluently spoke both French and Russian.

Yuuri himself spoke several languages – Japanese, English, French, Thai…

He learned a lot about the other man. Yuuri wasn’t as shy as he had assumed based on his texts – instead, he had a quiet confidence that… did things to him.

He was intelligent, well-spoken… and shared Victor’s taste in wine.

In short, he was perfect.

Well, except for his suit. It was a different one, but still quite hideous.

Some time after the main course, Victor excused himself to the bathroom to catch his breath a little – his heart hadn’t stopped pounding since he’d met Yuuri in front of the restaurant.

Washing his hands at the porcelain sink of the men’s room, he stared into the mirror for a minute. He still looked good – was Yuuri maybe, affected by him as well? The other man hadn’t seemed like it, but… but he was hopeful.

Flicking an errant strand of hair out of his face, he smiled, ready to head back.

He had to weave past a few other tables to get back to his own.

He almost was back, actually, when two words clearly directed at him reached his ears.

“Cheap gold-digger.” The woman at the table he was passing said – she herself was in her mid-40s and was dressed well enough, even if her pink dress didn’t suit her.

A feeling of dread settled into his stomach. He hadn’t expected something like that. Staring at her for a moment, he considered his reaction. The smart thing to do would be to ignore it. The polite thing. He was close enough that Yuuri could probably hear if he said something, but…

But like hell was he going to take crap from a random stranger in a restaurant.

“Not so cheap that YOU could afford my time.” He replied, his voice frosty, before stalking back to his seat.

A glance up at his companion revealed that Yuuri had… heard.

Shit.


	10. Chapter 10

Yuuri was staring at him, wide-eyed, clearly surprised.

Before he could apologise to the other man though, Yuuri waved over one of the waiters and said something to him – too quiet for Victor to hear.

“I’m so sorry about her.” The Japanese man said after the waiter had disappeared again, tearing Victor from his thoughts.

“Uh… YOU are sorry? I’m the one who was about to apologise for… causing a scene.”

To his surprise, Yuuri scoffed.

“You didn’t. She did. I’m so sorry. I never would have expected that sort of thing to happen here. I’ve been coming here for years… but usually alone.”

He nodded slowly.

“I’ve asked for the bill. I was going to offer dessert… but maybe we could have that somewhere else?”

He nodded again, still processing what had happened. Apparently… he hadn’t ruined the evening? Somehow?

The waiter brought Yuuri a small leather folder and offered it to him. Yuuri signed something – two somethings, actually, and returned the folder to the waiter before standing. Victor followed suit – only to realise they would have to pass the pink bitch again on the way out.

He’d have shaken, had it not been for the gentle hand that Yuuri placed on the small of his back as they headed towards the exit.

Yuuri paused by the woman and her companion though, giving her a polite smile.

“Since you seem so very… impoverished that you can’t afford a companion of your own, I’ve taken the liberty of paying your bill for you. Have a nice evening.”

With that, he firmly lead Victor out of the restaurant.

He made it all the way to the sidewalk before he burst into laughter, nearly doubling over with the force of it. He allowed himself a few seconds of laughter before trying to calm down again – only to find that Yuuri was grinning at him, clearly equally entertained.

“THAT… was the best thing I’ve ever seen!” He eventually said when he could breathe normally again.

Yuuri smirked, adjusting the sleeve of his dress shirt as he did so.

“Yes, well, I have a bit of experience dealing with snobs like her. Is there somewhere you’d like to go for dessert? If not, I’ll take you back home – I really am sorry about this.”

Victor shook his head.

“I… don’t mind where we go next. And don’t apologise for her.”

Yuuri tilted his head and nodded.

“Well then… do you like bubble tea?”

* * *

He’d certainly not expected to find himself on the backseat of a pricy town car sipping bubble tea – with tapioca, of course – when the evening had began, but he was having the time of his life. Yuuri was sipping his own tea – peach oolong with lime jelly – as they were discussing the benefits of various flavours of bubble tea.

When the car stopped, he half-expected to find himself in front of his apartment building… but no. Instead they were in what seemed to be one of the nicer parts of the city, in front of a different apartment building entirely.

“Would you like to come up?” Yuuri offered, his voice a little more guarded than he had been most of the evening.

Victor’s breath hitched in his throat.

“I’d love to.” He forced out, hoping he wasn’t blushing as much as he suspected he was.

Who in their right mind would turn an offer like that down?

* * *

“I thought you lived in a house with a garden?” He found himself asking as they rode an elevator up, bubble tea still in hand.

Yuuri hummed.

“I do. This is a place I mostly keep for work. My house isn’t actually _in_ the city – it’s almost an hour’s drive from here. I figured… well, it was quite far. This is where I sleep when I have business in the city and I have to go from meeting to meeting.”

He nodded – it made sense.

Following Yuuri into the flat, he found it to be spacious – a large living area with a kitchenette in the corner, and two more rooms – bathroom and bedroom, presumably. Yuuri took his shoes off at the door and he followed suit, before following Yuuri into the small kitchen and leaning against the isle in the middle, sipping his bubble tea.

Yuuri, meanwhile, was evidently trying to kill him, because he’d taken his suit jacket off, unbuttoned his shirt a little and – dear god – rolled up his shirt sleeves to expose his forearms.

Victor wanted to rip it off him.

He’d had a number of rather unspecific phantasies about Yuuri when he’d known only his face and those texts… they had gotten a LOT more specific throughout their dinner. Before, he’d been mostly interested in learning whether Yuuri was as amazing as he had assumed based on the texts before – now he knew for sure, and his thoughts were decidedly more… personal.

“…Victor?” Yuuri asked.

“Oh, sorry. Ah, could you repeat that?”

“I asked if you had a good time tonight.”

“Very much so. I had a lot of fun. Thank you for taking me out.”

The other man smiled softly.

“Well, you were insistent enough.”

Blushing, he shrugged – he wasn’t about to snitch on Chris, not when those texts had gotten him into Yuuri’s flat after their date.

“Not disappointed in my being a boring old man?” The Japanese man teased, leaning on the opposite end of the kitchen counter. It sounded like a challenge.

“Boring? After the most savage put-down I’ve ever heard? Obviously not. As for old… how old are you?”

To his surprise, Yuuri stepped closer, until they were only a few inches apart. The older man smirked up at him and took the bubble tea cup from his fingers and set it down next to him.

“How old do I look?” He practically purred, his voice lower than usual.

Victor’s knees felt weak.

“Ah… early thirties?” He forced out, torn between the urge to step back to be able to breathe and to just _jump_ the other man.

“Hm…36.” He replied, his grin widening as he reached out again, his fingers wrapping around Victor’s wrist this time.

He pulled, gently, and Victor leaned down until they were at eye-height. He knew he was blushing, and there was a mirroring flush on Yuuri’s cheeks as well.

“Do you want to go home? If so, now would be the time.” Yuuri’s voice was barely above a whisper, but it didn’t matter – no way in hell was he going.

Whining quietly, he ignored the question and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Yuuri’s as hard as he dared.

He needn’t have worried – within moments, fingers tangled in his hair and Victor felt himself pulled forward even more, Yuuri deepening their kiss quite readily.

Victor felt like he was falling – forward, backward, everywhere at once, melting into Yuuri.

He’d never felt anything like it.


	11. Chapter 11

He had no idea how they’d made it to Yuuri’s bedroom – he had no memory of walking, nor of taking off his clothes. Still, he found himself naked on Yuuri’s bed, the older man leaning over him in no time at all.

Yuuri was beautiful – every inch of him.

He was as fit as Victor had thought, his body trim with only a few grams of extra fat around his waist.

Victor knew he was staring up at the other man in awe, but he couldn’t bring himself to care – it was clearly too late to hide just how far gone he was.

He didn’t hesitate for a moment to flip onto his stomach and stick his hips up when Yuuri reached for the lube he apparently kept in his nightstand – by the time Yuuri’s fingers started teasing him, he felt like he might come from that stimulation alone.

By some mercy, he managed to hold out until Yuuri had him ready, pushing into him relatively easily. He was a little tense, but the small spike of pain did nothing to dampen his pleasure as Yuuri slid into him, gentle at first, then harder with each thrust.

He found himself biting the pillow, trying to stay quiet – not that he was particularly successful.

He gave it up when Yuuri urge him up on all fours and reached around him to run his fingers across Victor’s chest, and finally – finally! – to his so-far neglected dick. Yuuri jerked him off gently, but in time with his thrusts, and Victor came apart in no time at all.

He spilled himself into Yuuri’s hand in no time at all, shuddering his way through a fantastic orgasm, well-aware that Yuuri’s thrusts stuttered and slowed at the same time.

A few moments later, the other man pulled out of him, and they both sank down on the bed, panting.

Victor tried to think of something to say as Yuuri quickly dealt with his condom and laid back down next to him.

To no avail – he couldn’t think of a single thing to say that wasn’t either a marriage proposal or a request for more – not that he could have handled more yet anyway. In the end, he hardly fought it when sleep threatened to overwhelm him.

* * *

Waking up in an unfamiliar place was always odd – more so when it took him a moment to remember how he’d ended up there. He was asleep in a large bed under a skylight that let him know that it had to be late morning if not mid-day already.

The bed was otherwise empty – Yuuri had clearly gotten up.

Climbing out of bed, he ignored the pleasant ache in his limbs and put his clothes back on – well, the lower half anyway. The rest of it, he simply gathered and slung over his arm before traipsing out of the bedroom.

Yuuri wasn’t hard to spot – he was sitting at a desk, in front of a laptop, his phone pressed to his ear. Unwilling to interrupt, he snuck to the kitchen where – amazingly enough – a pot of coffee was sitting around.

He poured himself a cup, waiting for Yuuri to end his call. When he did, Victor sauntered over, trying to fight the unpleasant feeling that Yuuri expected him to just… go. Sure, he’d had sugar daddy relationships before, but he’d never slept with one of them.

“Good morning.” Yuuri greeted him, his tone pleasant enough.

“Morning. Sorry I slept so late.” He replied, clutching his coffee.

His throat felt scratchy.

“Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t actually all that busy this morning. Are you, ah, alright?”

“Hm? Yes, why?”

Yuuri spun in his chair and gave him a calculating look.

“Just making sure there are no… regrets. About last night.”

Victor cleared his throat.

“Only that I fell asleep after just one round…?”

Yuuri gave a soft laugh and flushed lightly.

“As I told you yesterday-” He stood and took Victor’s cup from him, sipping some of its contents before giving it back, “I am not a young man anymore.”

Victor followed him as he walked to the kitchen.

“You seemed pretty… energetic to me.” He quipped after a few moments of silence.

“Well, I had some pretty good motivation.” Yuuri shot back, giving him an appraising once-over.

Swallowing down what he REALLY wanted to say, Victor decided that it was time to face the music.

“I… should probably head home soon…?”

Yuuri nodded.

“Of course, I’ll have Phichit drive you back.”

Victor put the rest of his suit back on, almost disappointed that Yuuri hadn’t asked him to stay… but then, he’d expected nothing else.

Yuuri was the perfect gentleman – he accompanied him back to the door, even opened it for him. It was there that he found himself hesitating.

“Hm? Did you forget something?”

“No… It’s just… would you like to go out again?” He asked, hoping Yuuri couldn’t hear his heart race.

“Oh? You still want to go out with me even after you’ve… satisfied your curiosity?”

He huffed in annoyance – he wasn’t interested in Yuuri out of _curiosity_. Before he could say so, though, Yuuri had shaken his head.

“You don’t need to bother with that to keep my interest, Victor. Like I said, I’m well-aware that you can do far better. Besides, I’m not looking for… a sugar daddy relationship anyway.”

He bit down his instinctive response and took a deep breath to stay calm.

“Isn’t it up to me who I want to date?” He crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “And isn’t it also up to me who I consider ‘good’? Anyway, what ARE you looking for then?”

Yuuri gave him a soft smile.

“A relationship. With… an equal. To share my life with. Not that this wasn’t fun. I had a fantastic evening, Victor, so thank you for that.”

Victor said nothing else as he left – not a word to the driver on the drive home, and not a word to Chris who snickered as he got home.

Instead, he fell straight into bed, not even bothering to hide his tears of frustration.

Who in the world gave Yuuri Katsuki the RIGHT?


	12. Chapter 12

The first few days after his encounter with Yuuri were… hard.

It was hard to get out of bed, hard to motivate himself to do anything. The pictures he posted were all old ones – throwbacks and unpublished shots he kept around precisely for times he couldn’t make himself do anything new.

After about a week, it got a little better.

After a month, he started feeling pretty okay again – it was around that time that his phone chimed with an unexpected sound – Yuuri’s notification. He considered deleting the message, but thought better of it.

Yuuri: I thought you might enjoy these. I hope you’re well.

Following the message were almost thirty photos. He set them to download and put his phone on charge. It would take a while, he knew.

Forcing himself to take a shower in the meantime wasn’t easy… but he’d certainly had worse days.

By the time he was done, the photos had finished downloading, and he was ready to look at them.

Not entirely surprising, they were all of Makka.

He couldn’t help his smile as he looked at them all – Makka running around, Makka rolling on the floor, Makka digging at a rosebush.

There was even a short video of her sniffing around a room – a living room, it seemed.

Victor: Thank you. Is she doing well?

He texted back, his fingers only shaking a little.

Yuuri: Very.

It wasn’t much of an answer, but… He shook off the thought, instead studying the photos again.

Something about them struck him as odd – it took him a lot of staring to figure it out. When he did… well, it hit him like a brick.

They were all… empty. Sure, the house was furnished. Makka was in the pictures. But other than that, there was nothing. Nothing one would expect in a real home. No pictures on the walls, no forgotten clothes over a chair. The house looked almost like a museum… and Victor thought back to Yuuri’s flat, to his words.

The other man wanted someone to share his life with. He’d even warned Victor that his life consisted mostly of work. That he was… boring.

He hadn’t thought so, but it seemed like Yuuri had been more honest than he’d realised. And Victor… had missed it. Of course the other man hadn’t considered him seriously – from Yuuri’s point of view he was probably just a spoiled pretty boy that was dazzled by expensive cars and restaurants.

He couldn’t even blame Yuuri – how could the other man have known that Victor was mostly dazzled by _him_ not by French food?

He cursed as he sat down on the bed.

How had he missed it?

How could he… fix it?

* * *

Relatively easily, it turned out. Took him maybe a few hours to get started. A few phone calls, an online form and a few emails later, his plan was on track.

“Hey, you’re home?” Chris asked, peeking his head into his room in the afternoon.

“Hm? Yeah. I’ve been doing something.”

“Something being…?”

He shrugged.

“Signing back up to my university course. Online only.”

Chris whistled quietly.

“They allow that?”

“Yeah… I was only a term off graduation when I quit.”

“And this sudden decision is…”

He shrugged again, unwilling to explain.

Chris was perceptive enough that he didn’t have to.

“You know this might not be enough, right? He could have just been talking about your age.” It hurt to hear, much as it was true.

“Yeah, maybe. But what if it isn’t? I need to know.”

“Well, I’ll cheer you on either way.”

“So you’ll bring me coffee?”

There was a long moment of silence.

“Just this once.”

* * *

It ended up being a pretty regular occurrence, actually – Chris bringing him coffee while he pored over his computer, trying to remember what he’d studied and learned two years ago, and picking up what he needed to progress.

He really HAD been close to his degree in business communications, before deciding that he wanted to have _fun_ first – that he wasn’t ready for the big bad world of regular working hours just yet.

Well, he’d changed his mind.

Or rather, Yuuri had changed his mind.

They didn’t speak again, not through fall nor winter.

In spring, after more hours of studying than he could even count, he achieved the impossible – he submitted the final draft of his thesis. It was GOOD, he knew.

He’d written it with a focus on the actions of big corporations – of their accountability, public image, and so on, complete with an examination of the importance of image management and charitable work. If he’d used Onsen Facilities as an example on occasion… well, that was his decision.

* * *

He graduated – it wasn’t enough for honours, but at least for a distinction.

Chris accompanied him to the party his university hosted for that term’s graduates.

He stripped, danced on a pole.

Victor would have been embarrassed if he hadn’t been so obviously the life of the party – not that Victor cared about the party much. He had bigger things in mind.

Yuuri – of course.

The other man had sent him more pictures through the months – without a comment. Victor had always replied with a variation of thanks and had left it that… but he was _over_ it.

He wasn’t a patient man, and what little patience he had, he’d officially used up completing his degree.

* * *

Finding out where Yuuri actually worked was easy – when in the city, he worked at the company’s offices there.

Calling up out of nowhere and requesting a meeting with the CFO was a little more difficult… but he was charming enough to make it work.

Tuesday, 11am. Pre-lunch appointment.

It felt so anti-climactic, he almost wanted to laugh.

Just another meeting on Yuuri’s no doubt busy schedule.

Folder in hand – an important folder at that – he sat in the waiting room of the offices of Onsen Facilities, waiting for the nice secretary to show him to Yuuri’s office.

To his credit, he didn’t keep Victor waiting at all – 11am on the dot, the secretary led him to an unassuming office on the far side of the floor reception was on.

He knocked.

“Come in!” Yuuri called, the familiar voice never failing to cast a shiver down his spine.

This was it – the make-it-or-break-it moment for him.

Gathering up his courage, he pressed the door handle down and stepped inside the office.


	13. Chapter 13

He didn’t bother admiring the tasteful décor – tasteful but bland was rather what he had expected. Instead he stared at Yuuri himself – the man was sitting at his desk, not looking up at him at all, signing a piece of paper.

“How can I help, Mr…” Yuuri prompted, still not looking up at him.

“Nikiforov.” He replied, his voice thankfully steady.

Instantly, Yuuri’s head snapped up and his pen clattered out of his hand onto his desk, before slowly rolling to the edge and falling off. Yuuri made no move to pick it up, his eyes glued to Victor.

Well, he’d clearly succeeded in surprising the other.

Fighting the urge to brush his newly cut bangs out of his face, he withstood Yuuri’s scrutiny.

“Victor.” The other man eventually choked out, before apparently remembering his manners and standing up, gesturing for him to sit in the chair opposite his desk.

He did so, pleased that he had put Yuuri off-centre. Turnabout was fair play after all.

“How… can I help you?” Yuuri eventually asked, his eyes still roaming Victor’s form.

He took a deep breath.

“I’m here to apply for a job with your firm.”

“I’m sorry, a what?”

He smirked and opened the folder he’d brought, pulling out the first few pages and handing them over. Yuuri accepted them without looking at them too closely.

“A job. As you can see there, I recently graduated with distinction in business relations and management, and I would like to work for your company. I actually wrote my thesis in part about Onsen Facilities.”

Finally, Yuuri looked at the papers – first his CV, then a copy of his thesis with a summary and relevant sections highlighted.

He could see the disbelief in Yuuri’s eyes as he stared at what he was seeing.

He’d be lying if he said that the man’s stunned silence wasn’t satisfying – an almost-vindication for the emotional turmoil he’d been through.

“Is this real?”

“Entirely.”

Yuuri set the pages down on his desk, looking at him again.

“You… cut off your hair?”

It was the first personal comment Yuuri made… and it gave Victor hope. He’d not been kicked out. He’d not been told to piss off. Yuuri… whatever the older man felt, it wasn’t hate, nor apparently disinterest.

“Well, I figured this was more professional.”

Yuuri nodded slowly.

“It… definitely is. And you came here… for a job.”

Something like disapproval settled into Yuuri’s features, just for a second.

“Yes. Obviously, my lack of experience means it will have to be an entry level role, but I’m fine with that.”

“Oh? Then why did you come to me and not one of the recruitment managers?”

Victor laughed weakly – he’d hoped Yuuri would ask – he’d spent DAYS thinking about what he would say if he did.

“To let you know that while I may not BE your equal, I’m more than capable of BECOMING it.”

* * *

He hadn’t expected the shade of scarlet red that crawled across Yuuri’s face as he spoke – not at all.

The other man suddenly looked almost younger than him, eyes wide open, mouth working but no sounds coming out, his face and neck covered in that lovely blush.

Victor fought down a grin – it felt fantastic to see that Yuuri cared enough about him to… to react.

“T-That… This… you…” The man stuttered, vaguely waving at the papers again.

Victor decided to push his luck – he was high on his emotions, and he simply didn’t have it in him to hold back now. He stood and walked around Yuuri’s desk, sitting on the edge, right by Yuuri’s computer.

The other man had rolled back his chair a little, to keep him in his field of vision. He was still staring at Victor like he was some sort of hallucination.

“You… but it’s been… months?” Yuuri eventually asked, as the excess blood drained from his cheeks.

“Yes, it HAS been months. It took me a full term to finish my degree. It would have probably taken longer, but I was _highly motivated_ you see.” He all but snarled at the other man – he wasn’t sure where his anger was coming from all of a sudden, but he didn’t have it in him to filter it out – not when he was relatively sure that it was justified.

“You… had already been studying this before we met?”

“Took a break for two years.”

“I… didn’t know.”

He shrugged. “Now you do. I’m not some ditzy insta-babe with nothing in his brain.”

To his surprise, Yuuri stood as well, huffing as he did so.

“I never said you were, nor did I treat you like that.”

He sighed a little, much of his tension draining.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. But… you also never gave me a chance. Just declared I wasn’t what you were looking for and tossed me out on my ear.”

Yuuri gave him a long, calculating look.

“Would you like to have lunch?”


	14. Chapter 14

It wasn’t what he had expected to hear, but then…

“Sure.”

To his surprise, a weak smirk spread across Yuuri’s features as he stepped closer, almost leaning into Victor… only to reach around him at the last moment, to press a button on what appeared to be the intercom on his desk.

Victor’s breath hitched as Yuuri leaned in, close enough that he could feel the other man’s warmth.

Shit – he hadn’t been prepared for that.

“Sara, please bring up lunch for two, to my office.”

A female voice chirped a confirmation and then Yuuri was leaning back… but no doubt now aware that he was putting Victor off his game too.

Yuuri sat back down in his chair, seemingly unbothered by Victor’s proximity.

“You’re right that I never gave you a real chance… but then, I didn’t think you wanted one. I only even went out with you because you… well, because of the text you sent.”

“The text about wanting to meet?” He asked, confused why that request, of the many he’d made, had been the deciding factor.

“No, the other one, actually. About the photo you took on your couch. Reading about the pharma deal. Was that the truth? Was that really what you were looking at?”

He laughed softly.

“Yeah. My roommate took the photo. I didn’t even know he was taking it. I decided to post it because I thought you’d like it.”

Yuuri’s lips twitched into a dry smile.

“I did. You managed to push _all_ my buttons. A beautiful man, casual domesticity, obvious interest and affection for whatever you were looking at. I WANTED it to be me you were thinking about.”

Victor took a sharp breath – he hadn’t known.

“But then, when we met, you were obviously flustered. Nothing I hadn’t seen before – the glitz and glam of it all, right? To be fair, I WAS trying to impress you.”

Now it was his turn to smile dryly.

“Actually, the only thing I was _flustered_ by was YOU. I didn’t care about the restaurant.”

Yuuri’s shock was obvious.

“But-”

He waved him off.

“I already had a crush on you just from your messages. You were nice to me. More than that, you cared about the same things as me. Hell, you fell in love with the same DOG as me. Even if you hadn’t been gorgeous, I would have been interested.”

“That… but… I’m older?”

“So?”

Yuuri didn’t seem to have an answer for that – he just stared at Victor with the same disbelief he’d shown earlier.

* * *

“You… were interested in me? After I repeatedly told you there wasn’t all that much to me?”

Victor allowed himself to shift closer to Yuuri, all but backing him into a corner in his chair.

“See, that took me a long time to figure out. What you were really talking about when you said those things.”

“Oh? What was it that I _meant_?” He ignored the obvious sarcasm in Yuuri’s voice.

“I think that what you meant wasn’t that YOU were boring, but that you wanted to find someone who would be… boring with you. That’s what you wanted, right? When you said an equal.”

He couldn’t interpret the expression Yuuri made – trepidation, annoyance, guilt. Maybe something else. He couldn’t even tell if Yuuri agreed with his assessment.

“And… what about that sounded so great that it made you decide to get involved with a middle-aged businessman?”

He huffed.

“Weren’t you listening? EVERY part. You’re… smart. Funny. Kind. You love dogs. You call them puppers. When we had dinner together, talking to you was… easy. Fun. We went out for bubble tea. I felt almost giddy. And then, back at you flat… I… we… it was good, right?”

Before Yuuri could answer, a knock on the door sounded, moments before the door opened and a secretary stepped in – it was the same one from the front desk, Sara. She glanced between them with a small grin and put down two small bags.

“Here’s your lunches, Mr. Katsuki. Enjoy…”

He got the distinct impression she wasn’t talking about the food as she left and closed the door behind herself.

After a moment, he brought his attention back to Yuuri, who was looking at him like he was crazy.

To be fair, maybe he was. A little.

“I… didn’t know you felt that way. I assumed we had an easy time talking because you were humouring me. I assumed the sex was… well, I certainly had more stamina when I was younger.”

He hesitantly slid even closer, pleased when Yuuri didn’t try to back away further.

“I never humoured you. You… really hurt me when you just dismissed me the next morning.”

Yuuri rubbed a hand over his forehead and temples.

“I’m… sorry. I really am. Would you mind if I ate? I haven’t had anything yet today and I’m starting to get a headache.”

Guilt immediately laced through him and he leaned over to grab one of the two bags to hand to Yuuri.

“Sorry.” He said as he stood and returned to the other side of the desk to look into the remaining bag.

* * *

The sandwich inside didn’t seem all that appealing, but looking at how eagerly Yuuri wolfed it down, he forced himself to have a few bites. To be entirely fair, it _was_ pretty good, he had to admit, he just hadn’t come here for a damn sandwich.

He realised, that while he was eating, Yuuri was also studying his CV and thesis – apparently, he was a good multi-tasker.

“Impressive work.” He eventually remarked just as he swallowed the last bite. Victor set the rest of his own sandwich down.

“Thank you.”

“And you finished your degree and wrote this thesis so you could… work here?”

Victor shrugged.

“That was the plan.”

Not his ONLY plan – not even the most important part, actually – but it was a good point to start.

“And you figured that… flirting with me would get you a job?”

Victor swallowed nervously. This was something he did NOT want to get wrong.

No more misunderstandings and bad communication.

“No. I was really hoping it’d get me _you_ though.”

Yuuri was blushing again.

“You don’t want me.”

“I think I know better than you what I want, don’t you think?” He snarled back, quite sick of being told how he felt.

Yuuri said nothing, seemed to wait for him to continue.

“You said… you said it was the domesticity you liked? In the picture?”

The other man gave a slow nod.

“You… looked like you were happy. Like you… cared.”

“That’s because I did. I DO. I was smitten with you from the beginning. And no, it wasn’t because of the restaurant, or even because of the gifts.”

He stood, unable to hold still, pacing Yuuri’s office.

“I know I’m younger than you but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I want. I guess you saw the pictures I normally take and you decided, all by yourself I might add, that I was some dumb bimbo?”

Yuuri made a noise of disapproval, but Victor wasn’t about to stop, not when MONTHS of frustration had finally found an outlet.

“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that that was just a persona I put on. I’m good at playing for the camera, and I like doing it. As my roommate would be no doubt happy to tell you, I basically don’t have a social life other than that. I haven’t dated anyone seriously since my first year of university, and even then I wasn’t really into it. I’m no more of a _social butterfly_ than you apparently are, yet I get the impression that you thought that?”

He was ready to continue when, unexpectedly, a hand wrapped around his wrist and stopped him in his tracks. He hadn’t heard Yuuri approach, but even the gentle touch froze him completely, the words dying in his throat.


	15. Chapter 15

“I never _said_ any of that.” Yuuri quietly admonished.

Victor laughed.

“True, but you certainly _implied_ it.”

Yuuri winced – good.

“I suppose I did. How was I to know?”

“You could have asked.”

“Asked… and risked being wrong? It seemed safer for me to just keep my distance, emotionally. You have to admit, from my viewpoint…” Yuuri trailed off, and Victor sighed softly. From Yuuri’s viewpoint? Well…

“It’s not fair to either of us to just assume.”

“Victor… I’ve had relationships before. Several. Enough of them to know that I’m… easily distracted by a pretty face from problems that I should have seen in the first place.”

He was curious, almost wanted to ask, but decided against it.

“So you figured you’d focus on problems that weren’t even real?”

Yuuri smiled wryly, his grip on Victor’s wrist tightening to the point of discomfort.

“I… have a type. Beautiful, sexy men – younger, usually – that are bright, full of life and… make me smile. You ticked all the boxes there. I also tend to be attracted to… well, cheaters for one. Gold diggers. Men that, although they are beautiful, can’t hold a conversation. I’ve tried to look past flaws like that, hoping for a genuine connection… and I always end up hurt.”

Victor found himself reaching for Yuuri, his hand settling first on his shoulder, then the back of his neck, almost holding on to him for balance. Yuuri’s grip on his wrist didn’t loosen in the least.

“I’m not ANY of those things.”

Yuuri chuckled.

“Do you want to know how I found your Instagram page? Why I… followed you?”

* * *

Yuuri smiled wryly.

“I’d just had a REALLY long day. I was looking for a way to relax – quite frankly, I was about to go look up porn – when I came across an article about the most attractive Instagram models. I was just curious enough, so I looked. There were several attractive ones… and then there was you. I don’t remember the exact photo they used, but it was one of you in what looked like an office, seemingly napping on the floor.”

Victor tried to think back – that would have had to be a picture at LEAST a year old. He hardly remembered it.

“So, I made an Instagram account. I’d never even had one. It took me a bit to find you again, and I spent a good two hours looking through your pictures.”

He felt himself blushing, his grip on Yuuri tightening.

“They were all beautiful, but I liked the ones in that office best. The carpet in them is similar to the one in my office in Japan. I imagined… well, it was stupid but I imagined you there, with me. Napping on the floor after helping me work out a proposal.”

Yuuri finally released him, only for his hand to settle on Victor’s hip, his thumb rubbing _very_ distracted circles there.

“There were others. Pictures. Ones of you holding a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper. Erm… naked.”

“You liked… those? Usually people like the cosplay ones. Or the dungeon shoot I did.”

Yuuri blushed even harder.

“You’re beautiful in all of them, but yeah, I like the ones best that seemed like they could just be… well, not your life, I didn’t know you, but someone’s life. Not that you didn’t make a beautiful forest nymph.” Yuuri added, referencing the only photoshoot – ever – that Victor had put a dress on for.

He’d hated it.

“So you… followed me.”

“Mhm. Like I said, you were beautiful. It was nice to occasionally have a distraction from the work emails and such. Besides, it’s not like I didn’t enjoy the idea of a younger lover seducing me away from work.”

His lips twitched into a smile.

“It was… a few months before I spotted that wishlist link. I’m not very good with social media. I worked out how it worked, and decided to buy you something. You’d helped make a lot of my boring workdays more bearable, and I wanted to say thank you.”

Victor whined.

“So you bought me a bed… for TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS?”

Yuuri chuckled.

* * *

“I didn’t notice the price until afterwards. Besides, it’s not like I can’t afford it. Also, it was a four poster and… I have a similar one at home. In… the house. Not the same, but similar. It seemed… I thought you might take more photos in it.”

“Did you like them?”

Yuuri smiled again.

“Of course, I told you so. I was surprised when you wanted to… talk.”

“I was surprised you _didn’t_.”

Yuuri pulled his hand back, suddenly, stepping back a moment later.

Victor stumbled, trying not to lose his grip on the other.

“Like I said, you were… a fantasy. I liked it that way. Reality was always messy. But then… then you kept drawing me in. Posing with the things I bought you… knowing you were wearing the perfume, somewhere… you were pushing buttons I didn’t even know I had.”

He straightened up, a bit of pride filling him. He hadn’t known he had been either, but… but!

“You were… insistent. And then… that last text. I suddenly found myself wanting to know if the fantasy COULD be a reality.”

Victor gasped quietly.

“I took you out. I was… disappointed. At first. I asked Phichit to tell me what you were like. I saw how you reacted to the restaurant.”

“Phichit?”

“Your driver that day was my personal assistant. I asked him to… tell me about you.”

“What did he say?”

“That you were very into the champagne and didn’t say a word when he called you a sugar baby.”

Victor winced – he’d had no idea.

“I drank because I was nervous. That I’d… mess up. And I already told you, I was flustered because of YOU. Why else would I have been just as into bubble tea?”

Yuuri shrugged.

“You’re a model. It seemed fair to assume that you were… acting. Humouring me. I didn’t truly mind, for a night. I decided to let go, and to have fun. Even if it was fake.”

He whined quietly, stepping even closer to Yuuri, until they were nearly pressed together, just barely not touching.

“It wasn’t fake. I wasn’t humouring you. It was the best date I’d ever had… bubble tea included.”

Yuuri leaned back a little, trying to pull back.

Victor wasn’t having any of it.

Making a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, he yanked Yuuri closer and pressed their mouths together in a desperate kiss.


	16. Chapter 16

For a long moment, Yuuri was frozen in front of him. Victor only kissed him harder, uncaring that it was probably uncomfortable. He was making a POINT, goddammit.

Eventually, something in Yuuri softened, and he melted against Victor, tentatively returning the kiss.

He felt Yuuri’s hands settle on his hips, one of them sliding across his back, higher up until his fingers played with the short hair at the base of his neck.

He moaned into the kiss, all too eager to get lost in it – only for Yuuri to suddenly push him back.

He stumbled back, confusion and hurt fighting for dominance in his mind.

“Victor, this… we shouldn’t.”

“Why?” He snarled, hurt winning out.

“Because… yes, I admit that I was too hasty in… dismissing you, but that doesn’t change… other things.”

“Things?”

Yuuri hummed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Yes. Things. Like… like how I want my next relationship to be my LAST relationship. Do you understand what that means?”

Victor sighed softly.

“What makes you think I DON’T want that?”

Yuuri leaned forward, a sardonic smile on his beautiful face.

“How about the fact that you don’t know me?”

“Well, I’m trying to get to know you better. You’re the one who keeps refusing at every turn.”

“You’re so _young_. When I was your age, I wasn’t so bothered about long-term stuff. I just wanted fun. I can’t be… fun.”

Once again, Yuuri wasn’t saying what he meant – but Victor understood, this time.

“I don’t want fun. I want you. Hell, Yuuri, I’ve been trying to get you to want me since the first few times we spoke.” He knew his voice sounded desperate, but he couldn’t help it – he wanted, neded Yuuri to understand him too.

There was a long silence before Yuuri reached out to him, his fingers tucking a strand of hair behind Victor’s ear.

“Come with me.” He all but ordered.

“Okay.”

“You’re not going to ask me where to?”

Victor shrugged. “No.”

* * *

A silent car ride later – Yuuri drove them – Victor found himself in what he recognised as Yuuri’s home. It was bigger than he’d assumed, but he’d seen bits and pieces from all his photos of Makka throughout the past few months.

Yuuri silently led him inside, prompted him to take his shoes off and led him up a flight of stairs. Victor followed of course – all the way to what he recognised as Yuuri’s bedroom. He wasn’t sure why they were there, exactly, but he couldn’t help his gulp when Yuuri leaned against the metal frame there – it really was similar to his own, if more elaborate, and with a set of pale-yellow curtains.

“Did you bring me here to show me your bed?” He eventually asked – the first words he’d spoken since they left the privacy of Yuuri’s office.

The other man didn’t smile as he’d hoped.

“No.”

A moment later, he whistled… and less than three seconds after that, something large and heavy knocked Victor over, forwards and onto the bed. He didn’t have time to even lean up onto his elbows when he found something fluffy and then WET pressed against his face.

He tried to escape with a rather undignified squeal, but to no avail – he was firmly pressed to the bed.

It wasn’t until he saw the large brown paw next to him that he realised what had happened.

Makka. Makkachin.

The poodle had straight up bodychecked him onto the bed, and was pressing down on him with her considerable weight.

He gave up the fight, instead petting the parts he could reach and whispering Russian endearments to her. He wasn’t proud of it, but he had actually forgotten that she was here – that she lived here with Yuuri. Now he was fighting tears again – happy tears this time.

“She recognises you; it seems. She’s not like that with strangers.” Yuuri said, eventually, his voice amused.

He whistled again, and Makka immediately got off him.

Victor straightened, taking off his forever crumpled suit jacket.

“I’m glad. I… didn’t expect that. Where was she?”

“She stays in the garden when I’m not here. I host a small dog sitting group here. My staff supervise them when I’m out. So Makka isn’t alone. There are a lot of people with dogs in the area, so there is always someone around during the day.”

Victor’s heart clenched – he hadn’t expected that, not at all.

“The, ah, others aren’t allowed in the main house. There is a smaller one in the backyard where they all stay in bad weather until their owners pick them up again.”

“Yuuri… that’s… amazing.” He said, his voice breaking a little.

The other man shrugged and motioned for him to follow – again.

He did, no idea where Yuuri was leading them, but pleased that Makka was stuck to his side.

Victor found himself in another room soon – huge and empty. At first, anyway. Then he figured out the mirrors, the barre – a ballet studio on the ground floor, one wall made up entirely of windows – the light inside was unbelievable.

He forgot himself for a few moments – his shoes and jacket were off anyway, so Victor allowed himself to spin through the warm sunlight in the room, twirling in a mock-ballet move. It had been some time since he’d actually danced – he’d stopped some time in middle school, maybe high school.

* * *

It wasn’t until he was out of breath and a little dizzy from spinning in circles that he finally stopped… and remembered that he wasn’t alone.

Embarrassed, he turned around to apologise to Yuuri for how he was acting in the other man’s home… but to his surprise, Yuuri didn’t seem mad, or even off-put. Quite the opposite. The older man was laughing – watching him with obvious amusement.

“Having fun there?”

“I…”

“You used to dance?” Yuuri asked.

“For several years. You?”

“Mh. When I was much younger. I don’t have the time very often now. This room was why I bought the house to be honest.”

“Why… did you show me?”

Yuuri shrugged.

“Don’t know. There is more to see if you want.”

He smiled fondly.

“Show me.”


	17. Chapter 17

He still wasn’t sure exactly what the purpose of Yuuri’s tour was, exactly, but he was enjoying it. He was shown through the elaborate, huge kitchen, the cellar – filled with wine, gym equipment and a few small storage rooms he didn’t care enough to look at.

The ground floor held a smaller bedroom and an office – and the first floor similarly held another bedroom, an office and a music room. It featured a small grand piano – on his question whether Yuuri played, the other man said no… apparently he’d just always wanted a piano in his home.

Victor had laughed and awkwardly played the only melody he knew to play – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

He made Yuuri laugh again.

The garden was next – another pretty epic discovery. Yuuri had not one but TWO pools – a jacuzzi and a regular, if huge, pool in the ground. They passed the smaller building that housed Yuuri’s little dog-sitting group – he glanced in the window and spotted maybe five dogs snoozing, while a young man he didn’t recognise was typing away at his phone.

“Minami.” Yuuri offered, just as Victor was wondering what Yuuri’s… association with him might be.

“He’s an intern at my firm, but doesn’t really care for the, well, actual work. His family insisted he take the job… so I found him something that’s better suited to what he enjoys. He wants to be a vet someday.”

Despite Minami’s shrill hair, Victor took an immediate liking to the young man – anyone who volunteered to look after dogs had to be nice.

Their tour came to an end when Yuuri led him back to the main building, to another room he’d only seen in passing, but recognised from photos of Makka – a large sitting room with a huge fireplace and comfortable-looking armchairs. On the far wall, there was also a ceiling-height bookshelf filled with what looked to be relatively old books.

Yuuri seemed hesitant, but sat in one of the chairs. Victor was less hesitant, sitting on the floor just in front of him, Makka immediately on her back in front of him, with him petting her, of course.

* * *

“What do you think?” Yuuri asked, after a bit of silence, interrupted only by Makka’s happy panting.

“About?” He looked up at the older man.

“My house.”

“It’s lovely. Big.”

Empty, he didn’t add. There was very little… personal stuff, from what he had seen, even if there WAS an extraordinary amount of dog toys, beds and things of the sort around.

“Is that all?” Yuuri asked, a frown stealing onto his face.

“What do you want me to say?”

“How about what you really think?”

Victor searched his face for a second, but Yuuri seemed to be serious. Well, if there was one thing Victor was good at, it was bluntness.

“It feels like a museum. Everything is clean, beautiful, perfectly arranged. I bet if I looked inside the lampshades, there wouldn’t be even a speck of dust. You ALSO don’t have any photos up. Of you, friends, family, whatever. I don’t remember seeing any. No diplomas up, no newspaper clippings of your successes. Nothing that would make this a _home_.”

He watched as Yuuri’s eyes grew wider and wider, but the other had asked for honesty, and he was quite… well, honest.

“You obviously take FANTASTIC care of Makka, but that’s it. You don’t… live here. There’s no personal stuff around. Not even, like, a phone charger on the table or something.” He waved at the small table next to Yuuri – decorated with a small bronze figurine of a ballerina. Yuuri was staring at it as if it had flipped him off, all of a sudden.

Silence fell between them as something like unease settled into Victor’s stomach. Had he… crossed a line? Said something… wrong?

Been too rude?

What had Yuuri wanted to hear?

* * *

“You’re the first person to criticise the house. When Minami came, he asked to hug the pillow I slept on because he was so in awe of it.”

Victor blinked at that, needing a long moment to process what the fuck he’d just heard. Did that… seem normal to Yuuri? WAS that normal in Japan?

“I mean, I’d like to hug your pillow too, but only if you’re in bed next to me.” He blurted out, the mental image taking over for a second.

Yuuri seemed torn between amusement and surprise – the amusement won out and he chuckled.

“I guess you’re not… wrong, about the house. I bought it because it was available, had the studio and… I don’t know. I guess I liked the potential.”

“When did you buy it?”

“Mh, almost a year ago. I own some property all over. I only really moved in… well, when I realised business would keep me here more.”

“And when was that?”

Yuuri shrugged.

“Around the time we started talking more. I… I realised that I was sick of the travel and requested a more permanent placement.”

“And they wanted you here?”

Yuuri shrugged.

“They made a few suggestions, but this was… easiest. I like the US. We have a big office here…” The other man trailed off, and Victor winced.

He hadn’t really EXPECTED Yuuri to have listed him as a deciding factor, but he’d… hoped. Had the other man really thought about him so little?


	18. Chapter 18

“About what you said about the house… you’re right. About… all of it. I’ve been alone here since I moved. Back home in Japan… well, my parents still have the house I grew up in. It’s… when I visit, I still sleep in the same room, same bed as I did when I was 12. It’s tiny, maybe three by four metres if even that… and I sleep better there than in any hotel in the world.”

Victor made a soft noise in the back of his throat – he couldn’t imagine what that had to feel like.

“Are you… depressed?” He found himself asking, wondering if maybe, Yuuri felt the same emptiness he was all too familiar with himself.

Yuuri gave him a curious look.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I have… well, used to have anxiety. I got over it, for the most part. With time. I just get… nostalgic sometimes, and I feel lonely. Less so with Makka there.” The last words he said with a smile.

Makka, as if summoned, got to her feet and walked over to where Yuuri could pet her easily.

Victor had never been more jealous of a poodle.

“So you feel less alone with her there?”

“Of course. Isn’t that right? Yes it is! Good girl!” Yuuri cooed as Victor melted inside a little.

“What about me?” He asked next, well-aware that the question could get him tossed out on his ear. He was willing to risk it – he was… oddly sure that Yuuri didn’t REALLY want him gone, that the other maybe wanted to be… convinced.

After all, he hadn’t once said that he DIDN’T want Victor in his life – he just kept saying Victor wouldn’t want him, which was obviously nonsense.

Yuuri had invited him to his home – maybe it was Victor’s turn, now.

* * *

Yuuri stared at him, his expression indecipherable for a moment – then he shrugged with a small smile.

“What do you want me to say?”

“Did you feel less alone with… me?”

As if in a trance, Victor leaned up and shuffled a little closer to Yuuri, until he could lean up on his knees and rest his elbows on Yuuri’s chair. It was big enough that there was still plenty of space between them – Yuuri looked like he might have bolted if there hadn’t been.

“When I was with you? No, I didn’t feel alone that night.”

“What does that tell you?” He asked, just a little sarcastically.

To his surprise, Yuuri reached out, his hand gently cupping Victor’s cheek, before tilting his head up a little.

He hadn’t expected it – the way Yuuri looked at him, neither had he.

“It tells me that… I’m far from the type that’s any good at one-night-stands?”

Victor frowned at the joke – he knew deflection when he saw it.

“What does it tell you about our… compatibility?”

Yuuri smiled wryly, his thumb absentmindedly tracing patterns on Victor’s cheek. He didn’t mind, did his best not to lean into the touch.

“Victor… I’ve made the same mistakes before, I told you.”

“What if it isn’t a mistake?” He challenged, pleased that finally – FINALLY – he was getting… somewhere. Probably.

“How can I be sure? I don’t want to get my heart broken again when you decide to move on to someone… else.”

Victor gave a frustrated whine – was Yuuri REALLY so stubborn he still didn’t get it?

“How can ANYONE be sure? How could I be sure that YOU wouldn’t change your mind if we… got together, properly?”

Yuuri gave him an almost comical look.

“Because I’m not… like that? I’m really not… the type.”

Now that…

That made Victor angry.

With a scowl he climbed to his feet, Yuuri’s hand falling from his cheek.

“And *I*, Yuuri Katsuki, am NOT ANY OF YOUR EXES.” He hissed at the older man who was now looking up at him for a change.

“I’m a little bit sick of hearing how your exes are the reason you won’t consider this OBVIOUS thing between us. Contrary to what you have convinced yourself of, I DO want you, and I want to STAY with you. I’m not after your money, your house, or whatever else.”

Yuuri stood as well, his back ramrod straight and steel in his eyes.

“Then what ARE you after?” He asked, his voice full of emotion Victor was too worked up to analyse.

Victor sneered.

“I’d be pretty fucking happy with your heart, your dick and your dog!" He snarled.


	19. Chapter 19

“Well, I’m printing THAT on the wedding invitations!” An unfamiliar voice said.

Victor shot around with a yelp, not having been aware they weren’t alone at all.

The man at the far end of the room was familiar – after a moment, he remembered. Phichit, Yuuri’s assistant, driver and who knew what else.

“W-Wha? You listened to us?” He stammered out, his gut twisting in embarrassment and irritation.

Phichit shrugged, casually ambling over.

“I was upstairs and heard yelling. Figured I’d better check on you two here. Seems I made the right choice as well, because THAT was hands-down the best thing I’ve heard in my LIFE. Yuuri thinks so too, by the way.”

The assistant gestured over Victor’s shoulder and he suddenly remembered Yuuri – not that he’d forgotten per se, he’d just been… distracted.

Body stiff, he turned slowly – he had no idea what sort of… reaction Yuuri might have.

The embarrassment had taken a few moments to set in after discovering Phichit’s presence, but it had now fully taken hold – he wished there was a hole for him to bury himself in, preferably somewhere REALLY FAR AWAY.

To his never ending shock, Yuuri didn’t look offended, or scandalised, or even angry – he looked… well.

Victor fought down an anxious laugh.

Yuuri was bright red – almost impossibly so. The colour seemed to extend all the way up to the roots of his hair, and definitely down under his shirt collar. He had NEVER seen anyone blush like that – nor had he seen such an openly panicked expression on anyone.

It was… cute.

Thankfully, focusing on his own self-made humiliation helped him NOT fanboy over how cute Yuuri was, even when he was doing his best impression of a tomato.

Phichit stepped past him, his expression one of concern and amusement.

“…Yuuri?” He asked, audibly fighting a laugh.

Victor didn’t think it was THAT funny.

* * *

Instead of a verbal response, Yuuri gave a high-pitched whine… only to storm off a moment later, up the stairs, his steps thundering as he practically… ran away.

“That… could have gone better.” Victor said a few seconds later, staring at the staircase.

Phichit patted him on the shoulder.

“Not necessarily. At least you got through to him. He’s not… Yuuri is stubborn.”

“So am I.” Victor snapped back at Phichit, still not over his embarrassment.

“Mh, clearly. He texted me that you finished your uni just to come to his office and prove him wrong?”

Looking at the other man more closely, Victor determined that Phichit was likely just a little younger than Yuuri – and clearly knew him FAR better than a secretary normally would.

He shrugged.

“Partly that. I was… feeling petty.”

Phichit gave a good-natured laugh.

“Man, I really had you pegged wrong, didn’t I? I thought you were just another spoilt brat when we met.”

“Yuuri told me.” He said, reminded of the negative influence Phichit had had on Yuuri’s initial impression of him.

“I’m sorry about that. My first concern was – and is – Yuuri’s well-being."

He heard the warning there – and the sincere apology.

“It’s not your fault. At least, not JUST your fault. I didn’t communicate like I should have. Say, is, uh, Yuuri okay? Should we… check on him?”

Phichit waved him off and motioned for him to follow, leading him back to the kitchen.

“Trust me, you want to give him some time right now. He… lashes out when he’s cornered. Not in a bad way, he just might say something he’ll regret later.”

“You know him well.” Victor said, wincing a little at how obviously jealous he sounded.

Phichit gave him a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Relax. We’ve known each other for a long time, but we’re just friends. Promise. Yuuri isn’t my type.”

Victor blinked at that – how could he NOT be someone’s type?

* * *

Small talk with Phichit was surprisingly… pleasant. The older assistant was nice – nothing like he had been during their first encounter, and nothing like he’d feared.

If pressed, he’d say that Phichit probably liked him – and though he carefully steered the conversation aware from topics about Yuuri, he seemed perfectly happy to chat with Victor.

Though, after maybe ten minutes, Victor started to get restless.

“Is he… will he come back? Should I leave?” He eventually asked, feeling a little bit foolish.

Phichit once again waved him off.

“Don’t worry. Yuuri has his quirks. He does his best thinking when he’s… moving. He’s probably pacing around in his bedroom, trying to think of what to say to you.”

Victor nodded.

“Do you think… he believes me now?” He hadn’t intended to sound as vulnerable as he did, but he couldn’t help it.

Phichit paused, giving him a searching look, then shrugged.

“I don’t know. He’d be an idiot not to, in my opinion. You were very convincing.”

Victor smiled weakly.

“Besides, it’s not like Yuuri really NEEDED to talk himself into liking you. It was more the other way around.”

He sighed softly, his nerves easing somewhat – when Yuuri had just run off, he’d really not known where he stood… not even with Phichit as company.

Just then, the assistant’s phone beeped. Clearly used to the movement, Phichit pulled it out, unlocked it, and opened the notification before even looking at the device.

A slow smile spread across his features.


	20. Chapter 20

“Yuuri told me to subtly find out if you still want to talk to him now.”

Victor blinked.

Was that his idea of subtle?

That was… worrying.

“Of course.” He quietly assured the other man.

Phichit nodded.

“Right then… can you find your way up to his bedroom again? I’m going to make myself scarce now. I DO actually have a private life.”

Grinning, Victor nodded.

“Thanks. For… the water. And the talk.” Victor said as Phichit headed in the direction of the front door.

Phichit gave him a thumbs up without turning around… and Victor found himself alone his feet carrying him back up the stairs to Yuuri’s room.

They needed to… talk.

Properly.

Hopefully without any more embarrassing outbursts and subsequent running away.

He knocked softly on the door, pleased when immediately, an ‘Enter!’ sounded from inside, muffled by the heavy wooden door.

* * *

Stepping inside Yuuri’s bedroom for the second time that day, Victor was even more tense than he had been the first time around.

He still wasn’t sure what would happen – or what to expect.

“Victor.” Yuuri greeted him, his voice formal.

It was quite a mismatch given his partly unbuttoned shirt and wet hair – it seemed he’d splashed some water on his face and gotten it in his hair and on his shirt.

He fought not to lick his lips.

NOT the time.

Maybe later.

“Yuuri.” He replied, letting the door close behind himself.

“I’m… sorry about just running off like that. I was, erm, embarrassed.”

Victor chuckled.

“If it’s any consolation…. So was I. I REALLY didn’t mean to say that.”

Yuuri froze mid-step, his squinting at Victor a little.

“Did you… mean what you said? Even if you didn’t mean for it to come out that way?”

“Of course!” Victor shot back, as soon as Yuuri’s question registered in his mind.

“Nobody has ever said anything like that to me, you know?” Yuuri said, visibly relaxing in front of him.

Victor allowed himself a small smile.

“Well, I certainly never thought I would ever say something like it.”

Yuuri giggled – the sound made his heart flutter.

“I’m sorry for all the… dramatics.” Yuuri offered a few moments later, and Victor found himself shrugging it off – he found he didn’t even mind all that much. Who didn’t have a few… misunderstandings and odd moments at the beginning of their love story?

Well, at least he was hoping that was what was happening between them.

Cautiously, he reached his hand out towards Yuuri.

The other man stared at it in confusion for a moment, before taking it.

Victor gently tugged, and Yuuri came a few small steps closer, until they were nearly touching. At this distance, his beautiful eyes looked that much more mesmerizing, his hair that much more appealing.

He gulped.

* * *

“I meant it. Everything. I WANT you, Yuuri. I want this. Us. For… as long as possible.”

Yuuri pulled his hand free, but Victor didn’t mind – not when a moment later, both of Yuuri’s hand settled on his shoulders tentatively, almost like Yuuri expected to be shrugged off.

“That’s… it seems too good to be true. YOU seem too perfect.” Yuuri said, his voice low, expression open.

Heart racing, Victor realised that for the first time – probably since they’d met – Yuuri was being really open with him, actually hearing him, hopefully.

“So do you.” He replied, his own hands settling high on Yuuri’s waist. “To me.” He added a moment later.

“I’m… not always a smooth businessman.” Yuuri replied.

Victor smiled softly.

“Wasn’t very ‘smooth’ to run off like that.”

“I’m not _perfect_.” The Japanese man said, wrinkling his nose.

“Good. I don’t want perfect. Perfect is boring, and monotone and-” Before he could even come up with another adjective, Victor found himself silenced – Yuuri’s lips on his. It wasn’t a hesitant kiss, the way his hands had been.

It was slow, passionate, and when he parted his lips, deep.

He felt his knees weaken as he returned it, his hands sneaking around his partner, half-embracing and half-holding on for balance.

When Yuuri broke the kiss, Victor felt dizzy – a good kind of dizzy.

Fingers shaking, he pulled Yuuri’s glasses off and vaguely threw them in the direction of where he thought he’d spotted a diwan in a corner earlier, before tugging Yuuri with him, closer to the bed, hoping the other man had the same idea.

It seemed so, because moments later, he found himself practically manhandled into a position on his back, Yuuri straddling his thighs. He could feel the other man’s muscles flex as he kept his balance, his fingers playing with the buttons on Victor’s now-rumpled shirt.

He licked his lips.

“We don’t… have to. If you don’t want to.” Yuuri blurted out, his cheeks flushing again.

Victor whined in disbelief.


	21. Chapter 21

“I just mean, we only just met again, so if you want to wait, I understand…” Yuuri assured him, his fingers gently brushing along Victor’s front.

“I…” He began, his mind scrambling for a way to phrase this right. “I _think_ ”, he ground out a moment later, “that I made it VERY CLEAR what I want from you.”

Yuuri chuckled a little.

“Well… yes. And quite dramatically so.” To his surprise, Yuuri winked at him, briefly flexing his thighs as if he considered moving and changed his mind.

Victor put on his best pout and reached out both arms.

“Yuuuuuri! Haven’t you made me wait long enough?”

For a moment, there was guilt in Yuuri’s features, and really, he’d have to do something about that… once his brain had dibs on his blood supply again.

He was achingly hard, just from kissing and having Yuuri above him, and it was getting harder to think.

Thankfully, Yuuri indulged him easily and leaned in for another kiss, giving Victor the chance to tug his shirt out of his suit trousers. Blindly, he tugged at the buttons to get them undone, vaguely aware that the shirt probably wasn’t coming out of this unscathed, and not caring in the least.

Yuuri shrugged out of it, never breaking the kiss – Victor would have been impressed if he hadn’t been so busy panting at the sensation of bare skin under his fingers. He let his hands trail along Yuuri’s thighs, briefly settled them on his ass, squeezing with a moan, before moving on, trailing to Yuuri’s front again.

He practically growled when Yuuri bit his lower lip just as he started to tug at Yuuri’s belt.

The older man broke the kiss with an amused smile and leaned up until he was kneeling above Victor, his hands much steadier than Victor’s as he undid his belt and threw it off the bed.

That… wouldn’t do at all.

Much less gracefully, Victor scrambled up as much as he could, incredibly pleased to discover that sitting up, he found himself at eye-height with Yuuri’s chest.

Perfect.

* * *

He didn’t waste any time pressing his lips to the soft skin there, kissing, licking and nibbling to his heart’s content.

Yuuri held still, his fingers trailing through Victor’s short hair. He briefly wondered what the other man thought, before he was once again distracted by Yuuri’s body. He licked across Yuuri’s nipple, pleased when the other man shuddered, his grip on his hair tightening.

Victor’s hands were still roaming Yuuri’s back – as if jolted into action, he set about undoing Yuuri’s trousers the rest of the way, rubbing him through the soft material of the suit as he did so.

The way the older man thrust into his touch was intoxicating.

He shuffled as much as he could so that he could kiss lower down Yuuri’s body, to where the barest hint of chub covered what he could feel were abs of steel. He placed a few open-mouthed kisses, lower and lower until he couldn’t anymore, their positions blocking him.

He pulled back, about to ask Yuuri to move a little, when he noticed the sheer hunger in Yuuri’s expressions. He’d had a plan, something he’d wanted the older man to do, but as he looked into those chocolate eyes, he couldn’t remember a word of it anymore.

“Victor…” Yuuri practically purred.

“F-Fuck my mouth?” The younger man stuttered out a moment later, incredibly pleased when Yuuri gave a gasp, his erection visibly twitching as his words.

It hadn’t been what he’d wanted initially, but now that he’d had the idea, he couldn’t think of a single thing he wanted more.

“Sit back against the headboard.” Yuuri ordered, his voice hoarse.

* * *

Victor scrambled to obey, knocking Yuuri’s pillows off the bed as he settled against the metal there, watching as Yuuri crawled closer to him, all feline grace and pure hunger.

He fought an embarrassing whimper as Yuuri wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pressed their mouths together in another kiss – not nearly as slow but no less passionate than the first. When Yuuri pulled back this time, Victor was embarrassingly out of breath, his own erection throbbing in his clothes.

Yuuri leaned up again, moved to get up, presumably to shed the rest of his clothes… but looking at him with his trousers undone, Victor shook his head slowly.

“Leave it on.” He rasped, relieved when Yuuri didn’t question his request, but rather shuffled closer, even as Victor did the same to bring himself to the right height, barely sitting up on the bed.

He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to Yuuri’s dick, still covered by his underwear as it was, before pulling him free with shaky fingers.

Yuuri gasped above him and he forced himself to look up, to meet those brown eyes as he gave a tentative first lick, followed by letting Yuuri’s cock slide past his lips. He knew he was too eager, that he should probably try a little bit harder to impress, but he was simply too turned on to think clearly.

After shuffling one last time to get the position right, he set his hands on Yuuri’s ass and squeezed, urging him to start moving.

Yuuri did so, slowly, and Victor found himself pressed against the headboard, little to no movement possible.

It was the most arousing thing he’d ever felt.


	22. Chapter 22

Yuuri started slow – shallow thrusts that barely took him past Victor’s lips, and frustrated them both. Only when Victor gave an annoyed whine and pinched Yuuri’s ass, did the other man speed up – with a chuckle.

He steadily pushed deeper, until he reached the back of Victor’s throat.

His eyes teared up as he gagged for a second – Yuuri backed off immediately, giving him a moment to recover. As soon as he had, he started moving again, just as deep. It took him a few moments to figure it out, to get his throat to open up right, but when he did, he looked up at Yuuri again and moaned, hoping the other man would get the message.

Warm fingers wrapped into his hair to hold him steady as Yuuri pushed further forward – slowly, so as to not hurt him.

Holding on to Yuuri’s waist and hips, he didn’t even try to stop the cacophony of moans and groans that the rough slide of Yuuri’s cock on his tongue drew out of him. He figured out how to breathe right after a thrust or two, eagerly encouraging Yuuri to let go, to properly fuck his mouth already.

Even as the other man sped up, gripped his hair tighter though, Victor could feel that he was holding back, that he was paying attention to Victor’s face, making sure he wasn’t hurting him… well, hurting him in a way he didn’t want, at least.

The animalistic part of his mind was annoyed that the other man wouldn’t let go fully, the more rational part – coincidentally the part that was maybe, definitely in love with Yuuri – was melting at the gentleness and consideration the other man displayed.

It didn’t take too long before Yuuri pulled back a little, no longer pushing as deep, but instead faster into the heat of his mouth.

It was easier to breathe this way, and Victor finally remembered to use his lips and tongue again as Yuuri sped up more with a moan – several, actually, interspersed with words in a language he didn’t understand.

He was still staring into those fantastic brown eyes when he felt Yuuri near the edge, felt the other man’s grip tighten, heard his breath coming faster and faster… and then, with a shout, Yuuri snapped his eyes shut, pushed his hips forwards one last time, only shallowly thrusting as he spilled himself into Victor’s mouth.

* * *

He did his best to swallow it, holding his breath as he did so, until he couldn’t anymore. It felt like Yuuri came forever, and some of it trickled down his chin as the other man pulled his dick from Victor’s sore lips.

If he hadn’t been about to come in his pants, untouched, probably, he would have been disappointed. As it was, all he could manage was a few sobbing breaths, the taste of Yuuri’s semen heavy on his tongue.

He knew he should probably talk, if only to _thank_ Yuuri, but no words would come out of his bruised mouth.

It seemed Yuuri could understand anyway – he shuffled until he was sitting next to Victor, before matter-of-factly reaching for Victor’s fly.

The older man easily undid his pants and pulled his erection free – it was an angry shade of red, almost purple, dripping a little. Even just Yuuri’s hold on him was almost enough to finish him off.

“What do you want, Victor?” Yuuri asked, his voice a bit rough.

He didn’t know, didn’t have an answer – he just reached for Yuuri, pulling him into another kiss.

He hoped Yuuri wouldn’t mind the taste – with the way the other man hummed into it, it seemed not. But then, then Yuuri pulled away again, shifting position until he was sitting by Victor’s hips, smiling up at him with a devilish glint in his eyes.

“Hold still, okay?” Yuuri requested, and before Victor could contemplate the whys and whats of what Yuuri had said, the older man had already swallowed him down – all the way down, in one smooth motion.

Victor screamed as he came, straight down Yuuri’s throat.

* * *

He was vaguely aware that Yuuri held his hips as he trembled and moaned his way through his orgasm. He’d thought Yuuri had taken a long time to finish, but it felt like he came forever, and he was almost relieved when Yuuri pulled off him with a slight cough when the pleasure ended.

He wasn’t sure how much more he could have taken of it without just passing out.

Yuuri collapsed next to him with a groan, an arm flung across Victor’s chest.

Too tired to do more than shuffled closer, Victor didn’t fight when his eyes fluttered shut just a few moments after Yuuri cuddled against him.


	23. Chapter 23

Victor woke up in a bit of pain – his mouth and throat were incredibly sore, not to mention dry.

His discomfort only lasted for a few seconds – then he remembered WHY he felt the way he did and a huge grin spread across his face.

He felt around the bed a little – he didn’t have to reach far. Yuuri laid with his back to him, seemingly deeply asleep. Victor leaned up to look at Yuuri, his face relaxed in sleep.

This time, he swore himself, this time he’d make sure things would go RIGHT.

He shifted closer, pressed a few kisses to Yuuri’s shoulder and arm, until the older man grumbled and shifted… then those chocolate eyes fluttered open and Yuuri gave him a slow, gentle smile.

“Hi.” Yuuri greeted him, his voice quiet.

“Hi yourself.” Victor greeted back, feeling just a little giddy. “Are you kicking me out again?”

“Do you… want to leave?” Yuuri asked, his voice a little confused.

Victor scoffed.

“Obviously not. I just… wasn’t sure. What you want.”

To his surprise, Yuuri rolled over and studied him with a serious face.

“I want you. If you’re still interested in a middle-aged, boring, mpf!”

Victor cut him off mid-sentence by pressing their lips together.

He could feel how Yuuri’s hesitation melted away as he cuddled against Victor and kissed him back, sweet and slow. It was nothing like the passionate kiss that had landed them in bed in the first place, but it didn’t make Victor’s heart flutter any less.

When he pulled back, Yuuri was smiling at him with genuine affection.

“Did you enjoy yourself earlier?” The older man asked, a hand carding through Victor’s hair.

“Yuuuuri! How can you even ASK that?”

* * *

Spending the day – they had only napped for an hour or so – with Yuuri was… surreal. He certainly hadn’t expected it when he’d gone to meet him at his office for a job, he realised as they sat over dinner – Yuuri had had steak delivered.

He’d never thought delivered steak could be anything but tough and chewy, but apparently, Yuuri was simply magic.

“You know… do you sleep with all young men that come to you for jobs?” He teased the other in-between bites.

Yuuri gave him an annoyed look.

“Only the hot ones, don’t worry.”

Victor gaped at him for a second before laughing.

“Okay, I deserved that.”

“Do you… still want to work at my company?” Yuuri asked after a few more bites.

“I do, yes. But… if you would rather I work somewhere else, I understand.”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Company doesn’t have any fraternisation policies?”

Yuuri gave him a long look.

“No. And if it did, I’m PRETTY sure I could convince the majority shareholders, aka my parents and sister to make an exception.”

Victor nearly choked on his food.

“Your FAMILY owns Onsen Facilities?”

“Mhm.”

“Wow!”

Yuuri smiled at his plate.

“You didn’t know?”

“Not really. I researched the company but I didn’t look at owner names or what not. Didn’t seem important.”

It seemed to be the right thing to say.

“If you’re not averse to it… I could offer you a job as my assistant for a year? After that, you could easily cross into any of the major departments at the company, whatever you may be interested in.”

“But… uh, what about Phichit?”

Yuuri shrugged.

“Phich is great. But, he’s also over-worked and doesn’t get enough time off. He already does the job of three people and has rejected every offer I’ve made to get a second assistant.”

“Think he’ll accept me?” Victor found himself worrying.

Yuuri gave him an odd look.

“I mean… I am his boss. Ultimately it IS my decision. But also, he’s seen your resume and was impressed. You speak Russian – that covers a section of the market neither he nor I can cover. Between us we have most of Asia and a good part of Europe and South America covered, but not Eastern Europe and Russia.”

That… made sense.

“So I’d actually serve a purpose?”

Yuuri grinned.

“What, you mean a purpose beyond being my arm-candy?”

Victor scowled at him.

“Sorry. Yes, yes of course. Would you like to negotiate a base salary? Company pays out a bonus based on yearly performance.”

Victor chuckled.

“I think I’ve made my expectations quite clear.”

He expected Yuuri to flounder or blush, or even ask what he meant – to his surprise, Yuuri just gave him an appraising look that made him blush.

“Yes, well, my mother is the head of HR. What do you think she’ll say if I write ‘my dick and dog’ into the salary field of the employee form?”

He nearly choked.

“Uh… That I’m a shrewd negotiator and clearly very lucky man?”

Yuuri’s lips twitched up in a suppressed smile.

“Besides,” Victor continued. “You forgot something there. I did say I want your heart as well.”

A moment of silence fell, then Yuuri reached across the table and gently took his hand. He lifted it and pressed a kiss to Victor’s knuckles, before giving him a mischievous wink.

“Well… consider it an advance payment. A signing bonus, if you will.”


	24. Epilogue

Living with Victor Nikiforov was… difficult, Yuuri Katsuki learned quickly.

After their more than tumultuous meeting and subsequent failure to communicate, Yuuri had had plenty of time for self-reflection. He’d known as soon as he’d thrown Victor out that day that he’d been in the wrong, but he rationalised the feeling away.

When Victor didn’t come back, he almost managed to fool himself into thinking it was better that way.

Almost.

Until Victor crashed back into his life, with a _degree_ and a job application of all things.

He certainly hadn’t seen it coming – nor had he expected the other man to worm his way past his defenses so easily.

He probably should have, really, because he had already been smitten with Victor at their first date, but apparently his tendency to make shitty decisions when it came to men had won out.

He was determined not to make the same mistakes with Victor, and the other man made it… easy.

He was smart, dedicated, capable. He did the job Yuuri gave him with single-minded focus and attention to detail he wished all of his employees had.

He was also HELL to live with.

It had taken them less than a month after Victor’s start day to suggest moving in together properly. Yuuri had offered to pay the rest of the lease on Victor’s flat so his roommate Chris wouldn’t struggle financially, and just like that, they’d moved in together.

Victor, he’d discovered had a LOT of stuff. That wasn’t what made him hard to live with though. No, that honour went entirely to the man’s ass.

Which he was actually staring at across the room, because Victor was leaning on his palms on his desk, studying something or other.

Which meant that his ass was facing Yuuri and… well, he was only human and Victor looked delicious in his suits.

“Do we have any more scheduled meetings today?” He found himself asking, trying to keep his arousal from his voice.

They’d agreed. No sex in the office. Things had to be professional.

Victor looked back over his shoulder with a smile.

Fuck.

“No meetings today, and none tomorrow until lunch either.”

Yuuri grinned.

* * *

Living with Yuuri Katsuki was absolute heaven, Victor discovered. He’d been over the moon when Yuuri had casually suggested moving in over dinner after a few weeks of him pretty much living at the house already.

Chris had been less pleased – until Victor had explained that Yuuri offered to cover their lease. All of it. In other words, for the duration of it – another eight months – Chris got the place to himself, rent-free.

His best friend had still seemed hesitant at first, but had quickly warmed to the idea once Victor had started telling him how he was looking forward to living with Yuuri and Makka. Chris and Yuuri got along anyway, he found after Yuuri took them both out to dinner one night. They started out a little awkwardly, but Chris was easy to like, and Yuuri was, well, Yuuri.

In other words, amazing.

After moving in, Victor found that Yuuri could basically read his mind.

The other man seemed to KNOW where Victor was in the house, and seemed to also always be able to guess when Victor was feeling… frisky.

He had no idea how often the other man had snuck up on him, just when he’d been thinking about wanting the other, only to press a kiss to his neck, to wrap his arms around Victor’s waist, or to simply kiss him and drag him to bed.

There were plenty of beds – they’d christened them all in no time at all.

Work was what Victor had been more worried about. He had no experience, and he wanted to let neither Yuuri nor Phichit down. Thankfully, the tasks he was given were pretty easy. Proofread documents, keep an eye on certain players in the Eastern European market, keep track of Yuuri’s schedule – he picked it up quickly, and before he realised, three months had already passed with him working at the office.

Much more difficult was acting professional around the other man – and yes, it was an act. Victor had quickly discovered that he was SERIOUSLY into Yuuri when the other man was working. Not that he wasn’t anyway, 24/7, but there was something about watching the man sitting at his desk, staring at his work with laser focus, fingers tapping on a mug of coffee, that did things to him.

Or rather, made him want to do things to Yuuri.

If it hadn’t been for the fact that they had set up strict rules about separating work and sex, he’d have long since crawled under that desk and showed Yuuri how he felt.

Shifting around as he pretended to look at what was in front of him, he was mentally already counting the hours until they could go home and get naked.

“Do we have any more scheduled meetings today?” Yuuri suddenly asked, and for a moment he flustered, wondering if he’d forgotten something… but no. He was better than that.

He smiled at his boyfriend over his shoulder. “No meetings today, and none tomorrow until lunch either.”

Yuuri returned the smile, and for a second Victor assumed that they would just go back to their respective tasks – then Yuuri stood and Victor spotted the distinct tenting in his charcoal suit.

Fuck work.

* * *

Yuuri’s flat – the one close to the office – proved to be a GODSEND.

While, thanks to Victor, they returned to their house almost every night, the flat offered them a few possibilities the house didn’t – like a place to rip each other’s clothes off within minutes of leaving the office.

The alternative would have included him most likely molesting Victor in the car, and Phichit already put up with too much from them.

No, picking the younger man up by the door and throwing him onto the bed suited them just fine.

Speaking of – once again, their suits were wrinkled, probably beyond repair, as he clawed at Victor’s clothes to get to the skin underneath.

They both had extensive wardrobes, but he was also well aware that his spending in that department had increased considerably lately.

He yanked his tie off.

At least he could afford it.

Staring at the tie – a green one that Victor HATED – a slow smile spread across his face as Victor stared up at him from the bed.

“Yuuri?” The other man asked dumbly.

“You don’t like my tie, right?”

He could see the other man swallowing down what was likely a VERY sarcastic reply at the interruption, and shook his head.

“It’s hideous.”

“Perfect. Give me your hands.”

Victor, still confused, obeyed.

Yuuri made quick work of tying his wrists together with the tie – before Victor could even process what he was up to, his hands were securely tied together, with just enough space to not cut off his circulation.

Victor gave a breathless little laugh, testing the restraints and finding little give.

Yuuri leaned down and kissed his partner, long and deep, almost long enough to forget the rest of his little… idea. Without breaking the kiss, he pulled off Victor’s tie as well and looped it through the one already binding Victor’s wrist before fixing it to the metal rungs of the headboard. It wasn’t as elaborate or sturdy as their bed in the house, but it was more than strong enough for this.

Arms now secured above his head, clothes mostly undone but not entirely off, Victor looked like every wet dream he’d ever had.

The man knew it too, winking at him and arching his back – as if Yuuri wasn’t already reeling at how beautiful the other was.

He cleared his throat and returned the mischievous wink, his hand pressing on Victor’s chest.

“You know, it’s still within working hours, right?”

“I’m not complaining.” Victor shot back.

“Obviously, but I really think we should get some work done anyway.”

The first signs of frustration entered Victor’s fair features – clearly, he’d worked out that he wasn’t about to get the quick fuck he’d been after.

“What did you have in mind?” The other asked with gritted teeth, hips shifting in search of friction he wasn’t getting.

“Well, I still have a report I need to finish writing. So you could stay here and wait for me while I do so… or you could give me the summary of next week’s meeting with Agape Oil. You know it’s a big deal for the company to enter the Russian market."

Victor’s scowl made it clear what he thought of both of those options, but then, he was still perfectly happy to play along, it seemed.

“We’re meeting with-” Victor began, breaking off when Yuuri’s hand settled on his still-clothed thigh.

“Continue.” He ordered, holding still.

Victor’s disbelieving expression almost made him want to giggle, but he kept a straight face.

* * *

Yuuri finally decided to drive him insane, apparently, Victor realised as he laid under his lover, mindlessly reciting what he’d learned about the oil company they were meeting with the next week. While listening, Yuuri was slowly teasing him, running his hands up and down his torso and thighs, occasionally reaching under him to squeeze his ass in a way he KNEW drove Victor mad, all the while ignoring his erection and the damp spot it was leaving on the front of his pants.

When he stopped speaking – whether it was to moan or to catch his breath, Yuuri pulled back and stopped touching him.

It was absolute torture.

Yuuri’s fingers rubbed across his already oversensitive nipples through his white shirt.

He was loving every minute of it.

“T-The executives we are meeting are going to want to negotiate a n-new deal for the Eur- AH! – Asian market…” He forced out, both relieved and worried when Yuuri tugged down his pants and leaned down to focus on his cock.

On one hand he was desperate for any sort of touch there, on the other, Yuuri had to be pretty insane if he thought that Victor could keep talking while he had his fingers around his cock.

“Well done, Victor.” Yuuri praised, to his surprise, running a soothing hand up his side.

“I’m impressed. Such… hard work deserves a reward, don’t you think?”

He nodded eagerly, twitching when Yuuri’s breath ghosted along his cock – almost close enough to touch.

“Would you like a raise? Company car?” Yuuri teased, his chuckle downright mischievous.

Not for the first time, Victor tugged on the tie that bound his arms, wishing he could just bury his fingers in Yuuri’s soft hair and fuck up into the other’s mouth. Alas, Yuuri clearly knew what he was doing, because there was absolutely no way he was moving without Yuuri releasing him first.

“H-How about you just blow me?” He instead asked, his impatience obvious in his tone.

Yuuri laughed.

“Now, now… is that any way to talk to your superior?”

Still, he placed a gentle kiss on the head of Victor’s erection, and he shuddered at the brief contact.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, _Sir_!” He half-mocked, surprised when something like satisfaction flashed through Yuuri’s eyes.

That… was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome… but something they’d have to explore some other time. For now…

“I was just thinking that maybe a little… one-on-one training could be VERY beneficial to my performance… Sir.” He added the last part after a second, pleased when Yuuri showed the same pleased expression he had the first time.

Was that a thing now, Victor wondered – because he was very okay with that.

“You may have a point there. A little… team-building exercise, maybe?”

“Yuuri, I swear if you’re about to say the words ‘trust fall’ I am SO going home!” Victor burst out giggling, unable to contain himself.

A rather goofy grin spread across Yuuri’s face.

“Don’t worry, I’m not THAT cringy. Are you not enjoying my little game?” He recognised the question as genuine concern and his heart fluttered with affection.

“No, I do. It’s just… please touch me soon?”

Yuuri leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Of course love.”

Victor hid his smile in his arm as Yuuri shuffled back down, his hands rubbing at the top of his thighs.

He loved how easily he and Yuuri communicated now – in bed and out of it. A few weeks ago he might have worried that him laughing would ruin the moment, but he knew that Yuuri didn’t mind now, that he liked Victor’s sense of humour, even if it happened at odd moments.

His train of thought was interrupted when, in one swift motion, Yuuri swallowed his cock down like he was getting paid for it.

He nearly choked on the cry that escaped him at the sudden sensation – from nothing to being completely enveloped in hot, wet heat was… something.

He tried his best not to thrust his hips up as Yuuri expertly bobbed his head up and down, his firm hands spreading Victor’s legs as wide as possible.

He wasn’t sure why – didn’t really care, actually – when a finger nudged at his entrance. He had no idea when or where Yuuri had gotten lube from, but the slick digit wasted no time in sliding into him and curling up, just perfectly.

He moaned again at the dual sensations, fighting to keep his eyes open, to watch Yuuri.

The other man was watching him, a rather feral grin on his face as he added a second finger just a few moments later, the edge of pain of the stretch only bringing him that much closer to getting off.

Yuuri knew exactly how to touch him, how to move his fingers, his tongue, his lips.

In no time at all, Victor felt himself getting close, pulling on the restraints on his wrists more and more, desperate to touch his lover.

Yuuri’s free hand was clenched on his thigh, no doubt feeling the quiver of the muscle there as he fought to keep still, to not writhe under the stimulation.

* * *

Yuuri could feel when his lover was getting close, and just when he was about ready to come, he pulled away – his hand, his mouth, everything.

The shocked cry Victor gave went straight to his cock, as did the way he thrust his hips up – impressively far, given his position – chasing the sensation, to no avail.

Catching his breath, Yuuri stared at his lover, dishevelled and desperate under him.

He wanted to _marry him._

Well, eventually.

“Do you want me to continue…” He began, chuckling when Victor immediately nodded yes, before continuing. “Or do you want me to fuck you? Get us both off together?”

He _loved_ how much Victor enjoyed it when he fucked him – not that they didn’t switch on occasion, but he couldn’t remember a partner that loved it as much as Victor did. It was no surprise at all when after barely a moment’s hesitation, Victor asked him to take him.

He grinned – Victor looked like expected him to untie him… but Yuuri had a better idea.

He shifted position a little, enough to grab Victor’s hips. It took quite a bit of strength to lift and consequently flip his lover onto the stomach, the tie connecting his wrist-restraint to the headboard twisting – it was long enough to allow the motion.

Victor landed a little more roughly than he’d planned for, but the startled moan the other gave revealed he didn’t mind that much.

Yuuri blindly grabbed a pillow and put it under Victor’s hips, lifting his ass up just a little. He was just as desperate as Victor was, hastily freeing himself from his clothes and slicking himself up with lube.

* * *

Yuuri was going to kill him someday, Victor realised, biting the remaining pillow as he tried to stay quiet while the older man moved behind him.

Just when he thought he knew what to expect from the other man, Yuuri did something outrageous – how was the man even strong enough to flip him like he weighed nothing? Victor wasn’t exactly _little_.

Of course, he was equally surprised by how much the casual display of strength turned him on. Clearly, Yuuri’s preference for the weights he kept in his gym paid off big time.

All thoughts were wiped from his mind when Yuuri nudged his hips up a little more, spread his cheeks and nudged his cock against Victor’s entrance.

His hands tied as they were, he had no way of doing anything at all in the way of participation – all he could do was hold still as Yuuri pushed into him.

It was fantastic.

Yuuri didn’t start slow or gentle, clearly well aware that they were both too turned on for that. With each of his fast, powerful thrusts, Victor’s dick rubbed against the pillow, giving him just a little bit of friction.

He knew they were both steadily moaning as Yuuri’s thrusts became more erratic. Victor could feel himself getting close again, and one, two more of Yuuri’s thrusts and he was coming, helplessly humping into the pillow below him, riding out his orgasm as he could feel Yuuri shaking above him with his own.

When Yuuri pulled out of him a few moments later, he collapsed, all tension draining out of him suddenly. Yuuri collapsed next to him, a gorgeous flush on his cheeks. Victor smiled at him softly – Yuuri’s answering smile made his heart flutter like it always did.

After a few more moments, the older man groaned and shifted up, fiddling with the ties around his wrists. He sighed in relief when they came off, the strain on his joints having grown a bit uncomfortable.

Yuuri took his hands and pressed kisses to the slightly reddened skin around his wrists.

“That… was the best way to end a workday ever. We should put it on the schedule.” Victor said when his breathing calmed down enough to do so.

Yuuri snickered and rolled over, throwing an arm and leg over Victor’s stretched out form.

He still hadn’t moved – wasn’t about to do so either.

“That would be unprofessional.”

“Then… why?”

Yuuri cleared his throat.

“Well… you were standing in front of me, shifting around… your ass is very distracting. We really can’t make a habit out of this, though. Sorry I broke the rules.”

Victor laughed softly.

“Don’t even apologise for that.”

After a few moments of silence, Victor wormed his arm under Yuuri’s and pulled himself closer.

“To be honest, I was thinking about you too.”

“About what, specifically?”

“Hm… about crawling under your desk and sucking you off while you work.” He said, grinning at the way the other man growled at his words.

“That… would be unprofessional too.”

Victor nodded solemnly.

“Well, maybe we can make another exception. Just the one time.”

He snuggled against Yuuri’s chest, hiding his grin there and letting his eyes for a nap.

* * *

Yuuri trailed his fingers through Victor’s hair and allowed himself something he normally didn’t – to think about how MONUMENTALLY he had fucked up their first meeting.

He knew Victor forgave him months ago, but when they laid together like now, or even watched the TV together, it struck him how incredibly, stupidly, fundamentally, insanely WRONG he had been. He didn’t have the words to properly express how SORRY he was – how he regretted his judgement, his assumptions.

It had only been a few months, and Yuuri was happier than he ever had been. They fit into each other’s lives in a way that should have been impossible, given their different ages and backgrounds… but still, it was reality.

His reality.

He pulled Victor closer.

The other man had kept his Instagram channel, at Yuuri’s suggestion – however, the nature of the pictures had changed considerably, as had the frequency of the posts. On the weekends, when they had the time, they’d go places, with Makka of course, to take photos together. Really, it was mostly Makka that featured in his posts now.

Victor had lost a rather huge number of subscribers… and subsequently gained a ton of new ones, that apparently were more interested in the dog posts.

They had even started a trend – after another visit to a shelter complete with a fundraiser for the pets there, it seemed that other influencers had picked up on it, and several had done similar things in their areas, always with huge success.

Yuuri donated to all the fundraisers he could find, plus a standing donation for the shelter that he’d gotten Makka from, of course.

The Instagram page that had ultimately brought them together was far less active now, but it was filled with dogs and the occasional photo of their happiness – Yuuri wasn’t exactly camera-shy, but he also didn’t really share Victor’s need to post photos of them on the net.

Still, there were a few, like the one where he had tripped on a hike and tumbled down a hill – Makka had thought it was a game, had flopped down and slid the hill right next to him… and once Victor had stopped laughing and Yuuri had reached the bottom, he had run down as well, laying down next to Yuuri and their dog, taking a photo of the three of them, covered in grass and laughing happily.

It was probably Yuuri’s favourite picture on the entire channel.

He pressed a kiss to Victor’s head.

Phichit as well as Sara and Chris already knew about his plans to marry the other man – there were just a few things they needed to take care of first. Chief among them was introducing Victor to the rest of his family.

He’d already met Minako who had come over for a conference, but his parents were harder to pin down, and Mari practically never left the office in Japan – in other words, arranging a time that worked for all of them was… almost impossible.

Still, Christmas was coming up soon-ish… and Yuuri had already let his office’s HR know that they would be gone for at least three weeks. Phichit and Minami were to mind the house – he’d even allowed Phichit to throw a party if he wondered – while the three of them, him Victor and Makka, would fly to Japan to meet his family.

He snickered – he was pretty sure Victor had never flown on a private plane before, but his company owned one, and he wasn’t the CFO for nothing.

Victor squirmed in his arms, mumbling something unintelligible.

What was his position good for if he couldn’t abuse his power for the love of his life just a little?


End file.
